To estimate or suppose something without having complete information or certainty.
From Middle English 'gessen', possibly from Old Norse 'geta' meaning 'to get' or 'to guess'. Some scholars connect it to Scandinavian languages. The word appeared in English around the 14th century and has maintained its meaning of making an estimate without solid proof.
The word 'guess' might come from a Norse root meaning 'to get', suggesting that guessing was seen as a way to 'get' an answer when you couldn't find the real one—humans have been making educated guesses since before we had the science to back up our hunches!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.