| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| hypothecate, hypothesize (vv.) |
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| The specialized sense of hypothecate is “to pledge property without actually giving up possession or title to it.” In its more generalized sense it is a synonym of hypothesize, meaning “to make up or adopt a hypothesis.” Hypothesize may seem a bit stiff or pretentious in some circumstances, perhaps not least because it can be something of a tongue twister; the Standard circumlocution is to make a hypothesis. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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