Fwd: "theorize" - Word of the Day from the OED

[Dave Monroe]

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Date: Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Subject: "theorize" - Word of the Day from the OED
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OED Online Word of the Day

theorize, v.

SECOND EDITION 1989

(iraz)  [f. as prec. + -IZE: cf. med.L. therizre (Scotus Erigena a 880).]

    1. trans. To contemplate, survey. Obs. rare.

1638 SIR T. HERBERT Trav. (ed. 2) 223 Hitherto wee have beene
practicall; let mee now draw your eyes to theorize in generall the
severall properties and fashions of this great Empire.

    2. intr. To form or construct theories.

1638 SIR T. HERBERT Trav. (ed. 2) 6 Let us theorize a little upon the
Mathematiques. 1797 GILLIES Aristotle's Ethics X. vii. I. 397 Even
unassisted and alone, though perhaps better with assistants, he [the
sage] can still think and theorize. 1809-10 COLERIDGE Friend I. iv.
(1865) 118 The meanest of men has his theory, and to think at all is
to theorize. 1845 JEBB Gen. Princ. Law in Encycl. Metrop. II. 677/1 He
did not theorize without regard to facts and experience. a1862 BUCKLE
Misc. Wks. (1872) I. 16.

    3. trans. To construct a theory of or about.

a1848 W. A. BUTLER Hist. Anc. Philos. (1856) I. 40 [Mechanics]
theorizes the forces and motions of the masses; [Chemistry] the
intimate structure of each.

    b. To suppose, or assume, in the way of theory. (With simple obj.
or obj. clause.)

1838 G. S. FABER Inquiry 107 We can scarcely theorise a lower depth
than this glaring and scandalous prostitution of justice. 1863 COWDEN
CLARKE Shaks. Char. xx. 507 He theorised that the difference between a
pea and nothing could make no difference to the poor beast.

    c. To make or constitute in theory; to bring into or out of some
condition theoretically.

1843 Blackw. Mag. LIII. 697 He had..theorized himself into the future
husband of his ward. 1864 LOWELL McClellan's Rep. Prose Wks. 1890 V.
97 The one thing that cannot be theorized out of existence..is a lost
campaign. 1886 J. KER Serm. Ser. II. (1887) xi. 171 Men theorise it
into a thing of natural growth.

    Hence theorized ppl. a.; theorizing vbl. n. and ppl. a.; also
theorization, the action of theorizing, construction of a theory or
theories; theorizer, one who theorizes.

1820 JEFFERSON Writ. (1830) IV. 325 The misconstructions,
interpolations, and *theorizations of..fanatics. 1854 E. G. HOLLAND
Mem. J. Badger 417 Men who have no tendency to speculative
theorization.
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1975 Amer. Economic Rev. LXV. 416/1 It is not obvious whether the net
effect of all these shortcomings necessarily exaggerates the
regression results in favor of the *theorized results. 1979 Internat.
Jrnl. Sociol. of Law VII. 319 The material that is reproduced here
would undoubtedly be of considerable use in some more theorized or
general analysis.
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1829 CARLYLE Crit. & Misc. Ess., Novalis (1872) II. 197 A great and
original plan, very different..from that of our idle *theorisers and
generalizers. 1870 PROCTOR Other Worlds 3 Not..the mere fanciful
theoriser.., but men of the highest eminence in science.
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1817 COLERIDGE Biog. Lit. I. xii. 258 The necessity of *theorising.
1818 HALLAM Mid. Ages (1872) I. Pref. 6 A fault too common,..that of
theorising upon an imperfect induction. 1849 NOAD Electricity (ed. 3)
127 One fact is worth a volume of theorizing.
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1792 J. BELKNAP Hist. New Hampsh. III. 229 The inconsistent
conclusions of these *theorising philosophers. 1891 Athenæum 5 Dec.
753/2 We find the utmost scorn expressed [by Moltke] for..theorizing
demagogues.
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