speculation

n 1: a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

[syn: {guess}, {conjecture}, {supposition}, {surmise}, {hypothesis}]

2: a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or

conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence);

"speculations about the outcome of the election"; "he

dismissed it as mere conjecture" [syn: {conjecture}]

3: an investment that is very risky but could yield great

profits; "he knew the stock was a speculation when he

bought it" [syn: {venture}]

emulation

One system is said to emulate another when it performs in

exactly the same way, though perhaps not at the same speed. A

typical example would be emulation of one computer by (a

program running on) another. You might use an emulation as a

replacement for a system whereas you would use a simulation if

you just wanted to analyse it and make predictions about it.

(1995-05-12)