Lewis & Short

conjectūra, ae, f. [conicio, I. B. 2.], a putting together of facts or indications; hence an opinion founded on a comparison of facts, a conjecture, guess, conjectural inference.

  1. I. In gen. (very freq., and class.): quod ad exemplum’st? Conjecturā si reperire possumus, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 76: hanc ego de me conjecturam domi facic, id. Cist. 2, 1, 2; id. Cas. 2, 3, 8; Cic. de Or. 2, 74, 299: conjecturam facere (ex re or re), Plaut. Poen. prol. 91; id. Rud. 3, 4, 66; Ter. And. 3, 2, 32; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 25; Cic. Mur. 21, 44; id. Verr. 2, 2, 74, § 183: attendite num aberret a conjecturā suspitio periculi mei, i. e. reasonable inference, id. Phil. 12, 9, 23; Quint. 8, 4, 26; Plin. Pan. 20 fin.: capere ex re, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 32: capere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 98: hoc videre licet ex aliquot rebus, Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 3: conjecturā uti, Quint. 3, 6, 15: judicare aliquid, Cic. Fl. 3, 6: coarguere aliquid, id. Agr. 1, 6, 18: quaerere aliquid, id. Or. 36, 126; cf.: quaeritur per conjecturam, Quint. 7, 2, 6: conjecturā aberrare, Cic. Att. 14, 22, 1: in conjecturam quantitas cadit, Quint. 7, 4, 43: aliquid conjecturā animi scrutari, Plin. 2, 11, 8, § 49; cf.: animi mei, Quint. 1, 2, 25: si qua conjectura mentis divinae sit (gen. object.), Liv. 10, 39, 15; so, mentis, Quint. 7, 3, 25: animi, id. 7, 2, 6; 7, 2, 45: voluntatis, id. 12, 2, 19: veritatis, Suet. Galb. 7 et saep.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. T. t. of the lang. of augury, a conclusion drawn from signs or omens, a divining, an interpreting of dreams, soothsaying, prophesying, Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 20; id. Curc. 2, 1, 31; Cic. Div. 2, 31, 66; 1, 36, 78; 2, 63, 129; Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 51; Suet. Vit. 18.
    2. B. An element of rhetorical representation founded on conjecture, Cic. Inv. 2, 5, 16; id. Part. Or. 9, 33 sq.; id. Div.. 2, 26, 55; Quint. 7, 2, 1; 3, 6, 50; cf.: in his omnibus conjecturam inducere, the form of conjecture, Cic. Inv. 2, 32, 99.