Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Specious

Spe′cious, a. [L. speciosusgood-looking, beautiful, specious, fr. species look, show, appearance; cf. F. spécoeux. 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.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.