A word I've not seen for some time, and had to look up.

"You are a specious fellow,’ returned Sir John, fixing his eyes upon him, ‘and carry two faces under your hood, as well as the best. Didn’t you give me in this room, this evening, any other reason; no dislike of anybody who has slighted you lately, on all occasions, abused you, treated you with rudeness; acted towards you, more as if you were a mongrel dog than a man like himself?’"

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SPECIOUS
Pronunciation: 'speeshus


Matching Terms: specious argument, speciously, speciousness


WordNet Dictionary

Definition: [adj] based on pretense; deceptively pleasing; "the gilded and perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility"; "meretricious praise"; "a meretricious argument"
[adj] plausible but false; "a specious claim"
[adj] plausible but false; "specious reasoning"; "the spurious inferences from obsolescent notions of causality"- Ethel Albert


Synonyms: false, gilded, insincere, invalid, meretricious, spurious





Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Spe"cious\, a. [L. speciosusgood-looking, beautiful,
specious, fr. species look, show, appearance; cf. F.
sp['e]coeux. See {Species}.]
1. Presenting a pleasing appearance; pleasing in form or
look; showy.

Some [serpents] specious and beautiful to the eye.
--Bp.
Richardson.

The rest, far greater part, Will deem in outward
rites and specious forms Religion satisfied.
--Milton.

2. Apparently right; superficially fair, just, or correct,
but not so in reality; appearing well at first view;
plausible; as, specious reasoning; a specious argument.

Misled for a moment by the specious names of
religion, liberty, and property. --Macaulay.

In consequence of their greater command of specious
expression. --J. Morley.

Syn: Plausible; showy; ostensible; colorable; feasible. See
{Plausible}. -- {Spe"xious*ly}, adv. --
{Spe"cious*ness}, n.







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