a tentative theory about the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory"; "he proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices"
a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations
the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation
a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn; "on the assumption that he has been injured we can infer that he will not to play"
take something as preexisting and given
set forth beforehand, often as an explanation; "He premised these remarks so that his readers might understand"
(bridge or whist) the suit that has been declared to rank above all other suits for the duration of the hand; "clubs were declared trumps"; "a trump can take a trick even when a card of a different suit is led"
a playing card in the suit that has been declared trumps; "the ace of trumps is a sure winner"
the successful action of solving a problem; "the solution took three hours"
a method for solving a problem; "the easy solution is to look it up in the handbook"
a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem; "they were trying to find a peaceful solution"; "the answers were in the back of the book"; "he computed the result to four decimal places"
the set of values that give a true statement when substituted into an equation
a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution; "he used a solution of peroxide and water"
an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious; "the edict was subject to many interpretations"; "he annoyed us with his interpreting of parables"; "often imitations are extended to provide a more accurate rendition of the child's intended meaning"
a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something
an explanation that results from interpreting something; "the report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence"