guesses

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of guess.

   The contestant guesses the price within a few dollars.

   Whenever the teacher pauses, one student always guesses the next word.

   Note

   This form mostly carries the verb's literal senses, conjecturing or hitting on the right answer: she guesses the price, he guesses the riddle. The conversational "I guess", which drops any real uncertainty, is usually first person. So "he guesses so" tends to sound like reported conjecture rather than casual agreement. Its spelling matches the plural noun, and the subject in front of it settles which one you are reading.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of guess.

   The teacher accepted several guesses before revealing the answer.

   Her early guesses about the budget turned out to be remarkably close.

   Note

   One spelling, two words: the noun's plural and the verb's present-tense form. As a plural it counts separate attempts at an answer, so it sits naturally after numbers and quantifiers: three guesses, several guesses. The -es after the double s adds a full syllable. Context tells the two apart. In her guesses were close it is a noun; in she guesses well it is a verb.

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