divination
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div·i·na·tion
(dĭv′ə-nā′shən)n.
1. The art or act of foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or an alleged supernatural agency.
2. An inspired guess or presentiment.
3. Something that has been divined.
di·vin′a·to′ry (dĭ-vĭn′ə-tôr′ē) adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
divination
(ˌdɪvɪˈneɪʃən)n
1. (Alternative Belief Systems) the art, practice, or gift of discerning or discovering future events or unknown things, as though by supernatural powers
2. a prophecy
3. a presentiment or guess
divinatory adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
div•i•na•tion
(ˌdɪv əˈneɪ ʃən)n.
1. the practice of seeking to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means.
2. intuitive perception; instinctive foresight.
[1350–1400; Middle English divinacioun (< Anglo-French) < Latin dīvīnātiō=dīvīnāre to practice divination, divine + -tiō -tion]
di•vin•a•to•ry (dɪˈvɪn əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i) adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Divination
1. the art or science of divination by means of the air or winds.
2. Humorous. weather forecasting. Cf. austromancy.
2. Humorous. weather forecasting. Cf. austromancy.
a form of divination by recording the letters revealed as a cock eats kernels of corn that cover them.
an old form of divination using meal or flour. — aleuromantic, adj.
halomancy.
a form of divination involving the examination of barley.
a form of divination involving walking, usually in circles. Cf. gyromancy.
a form of divination by examining the embryonic sac or amniotic fluid.
the art of divination through the study of burning coals. — anthracomantic, adj.
a form of divination using the entrails of dead men. — anthropomantist, n. — anthropomantic, adj.
numerology.
a form of divination involving the shoulders of animals. Cf. spatulamancy.
a form of divination involving examination of a shield.
a form of divination involving dice or knuckle-bones, in which letters are marked on the faces of the dice and the future is foretold from the words formed as the dice fall. Also called cleromancy.
a form of divination involving the relative positions of heavenly bodies. Also called genethlialogy, genethliacs.
divination by observation of the stars. Also called sideromancy.
1. the art of f oretelling the future by means of signs, originally by the flight of birds; divination.
2. an omen or portent from which the future is foretold. — augur, n. — augurial, adj. — augurous, adj.
2. an omen or portent from which the future is foretold. — augur, n. — augurial, adj. — augurous, adj.
divination by observing the winds, especially the south wind. Cf. aeromancy.
a form of divination involving the use of an axhead. — axinomantic, adj.
divination in which marks or words are placed on arrows which are then drawn from a quiver at random.
a form of divination using books or the Bible in which passages are chosen at random and the future foretold from them.
a form of divination involving the examination of plants.
a form of divination involving smoke.
a form of divination involving playing cards.
a form of divination involving a crystal ball or mirrors.
a form of divination involving the head.
a form of divination involving thunder or thunderbolts.
a form of divination involving dropping melted wax into water.
a form of divination involving brass vessels.
a form of divination involving aerial visions.
palmistry.
a divination to determine the precise time for action.
a form of divination involving a key or keys.
astragalomancy.
a form of divination involving a sieve and shears. — coscinomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving the strewing of grain over the bodies of sacrificed animals. — crithomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving crystal-gazing.
Rare. a form of divination involving thrown dice. — cubomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving finger rings.
a form of divination involving a demon or demons.
a form of divination involving a fire and smoke.
a form of divination involving a mirror and its reflections.
haruspicy. — extispex, n. — extispicious, adj.
1. a form of divination involving listening to stomach sounds.
2. a form of divination by gazing into a crystal ball or a glass full of water. Cf. crystallomancy. Also called crystal-gazing. — gastromantic, adj.
2. a form of divination by gazing into a crystal ball or a glass full of water. Cf. crystallomancy. Also called crystal-gazing. — gastromantic, adj.
a form of divination that determines a person’s character or future from the way he laughs.
astrology.
a form of divination that analyzes the pattern of a handful of earth thrown down at random or of dots made at random on paper. — geomancer, n.
1. a form of divination involving analysis of handwriting. Also graptomancy.
2. a technique of personality analysis involving the examination of handwriting.
2. a technique of personality analysis involving the examination of handwriting.
graphology def. 1.
a form of divination involving walking in a circle. Cf. ambulomancy.
a form of divination involving the use of salt. Also called alomancy.
the act or art of prognostication or divination; soothsaying.
a form of divination from lightning and other natural phenomena, but especially from inspection of the entrails of animal sacrifices. Also called extispicy. — haruspex, n. — haruspical, adj.
divination by means of blood.
a form of divination involving sacrificial remains or sacred objects. Also called hieroscopy.
a form of divination involving the observation of horses, especially by listening to their neighing.
1. the art of casting horoscopes or divinations based upon the relative positions of heavenly bodies.
2. the position of the sun and stars at the time of a person’s birth. — horoscoper, horoscopist, n.
2. the position of the sun and stars at the time of a person’s birth. — horoscoper, horoscopist, n.
a form of divination involving observations of water or of other liquids.
the analysis of the personality and appearance of people by studying their footprints. — ichnomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving the head or entrails of fishes.
a form of divination involving idols.
a form of divination involving observation of the flame of a torch or lamp. Cf. lychnomancy.
a form of divination involving the examination of water in a basin.
a form of divination involving rocks or stones.
a form of divination involving logarithms.
a form of divination involving the observation of words and discourse.
a form of divination involving lamps. Cf. lampadomancy.
the art of divination and prophecy. — mantic, adj.
Obsolete, the art of fortune-telling. — mantologist, n.
a form of divination involving the examination of pearls.
a form of divination involving the observation of meteors.
Rare. a form of divination involving examination of facial features.
Rare. a form of divination by studying the motion of molten lead.
a form of divination that is flawed or foolish.
a form of divination through observation of the movements of mice.
1. the magic practiced by a witch or sorcerer.
2. a form of divination through communication with the dead. Also called nigromancy. — necromancer, necromant, nigromancien, n. — necromantie, adj.
2. a form of divination through communication with the dead. Also called nigromancy. — necromancer, necromant, nigromancien, n. — necromantie, adj.
divination by the observation of clouds.
a form of divination involving the examination of letters, possibly from a graphological point of view. Cf. onomancy.
a form of divination involving numbers. Also called arithmancy.
a form of divination involving observation of the colors and other features of wine.
a form of divination involving the examination of shoulder blades. Cf. armomancy, scapulomancy, spatulamancy.
a form of divination in which the number of knots in a new-born’s umbilical cord are counted to foretell the number of children the mother will have later.
a form of divination involving dreams. — oneiromancer, n.
a form of divination involving the letters of a name. Cf. nomancy.
a form of divination involving examination of the fingernails.
a form of divination involving eggs.
a form of divination involving snakes.
a form of divination involving the observation of birds, especially in flight.
divination by the examination of bones. — osteomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving analysis of the appearance of the hand, especially of its various lines. Also called chiromancy, cheiromancy.
a form of divination involving the study of the soles of the feet. Also called podomancy.
a form of divination by studying springs or fountains. — pegomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving pebbles. Also called psephology, psephomancy.
a form of divination involving the examination of leaves.
pedomancy.
pessomancy.
1. pessomancy
2. a form of divination involving the study of marks made on pebbles which are drawn at random from a container.
2. a form of divination involving the study of marks made on pebbles which are drawn at random from a container.
a form of divination that is deliberately false or misleading.
a form of divination involving communication with the spirits of the dead.
a form of divination involving fire or flames.
a form of divination in the manner of Pythia, the Delphic priestess.
a form of divination involving a rod or wand, especially to locate objects or materials beneath the ground, as water or precious metals; dowsing.
a form of divination involving verses.
a form of divination in which a shoulder blade is heated in a fire and the resulting cracks in the bone are consulted for omens. Cf. armomancy, omoplatoscopy, spatulamancy. — scapulomantic, adj.
a form of divination by examination of excrement.
divination of a person’s future from observation of physical appearance.
a form of divination through communication with the spirits of the dead. — sciomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving the use of a cup.
a form of divination involving observation of the moon.
Ancient Greece and Rome. a woman with oracular or prophetic powers, the most celebrated being that of Cumae. — sibyllic, — sibylic, sibylline, adj.
1. a believer in or follower of the sibyls.
2. a believer in their prophecies.
2. a believer in their prophecies.
1. astrom ancy.
2. a form of divination involving observation of the sparks, shapes formed, etc., when straws are burnt against a red-hot iron.
2. a form of divination involving observation of the sparks, shapes formed, etc., when straws are burnt against a red-hot iron.
a form of divination involving drawing lots.
a form of divination used to foretell disease by observing spasms or twitching of the potential sufferer’s body.
a form of divination involving the examination of animal feces.
a form of divination by means of an animal’s shoulder blade. Cf. armomancy, omoplatoscopy, scapuloniancy. — spatulamantic, adj.
a form of divination through the uses of ashes. — spodomantic, adj.
a form of divination involving examination of the breastbone.
a form of divination involving lines of poetry or passages from books.
a form of divination involving the examination of writing on or carving in the bark of a tree.
a form of divination involving figs or fig leaves.
clairvoyance or other occult or supernatural knowledge.
a form of divination involving the examination of the ashes remaining af ter a sacrifice.
a form of divination involving the responses of oracles or other soothsayers.
1. a form of divination involving wild beasts.
2. a form of divination based upon observation of the movements of animals. Cf. zoomancy.
2. a form of divination based upon observation of the movements of animals. Cf. zoomancy.
a form of divination involving observation of cheese, especially as it coagulates.
Rare. a form of divination by studying urine. — uromantic, adj.
a form of divination involving pieces of wood.
a form of divination based upon the observation of animals or their movements under certain circumstances. Cf. theriomancy.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | divination - successful conjecture by unusual insight or good luck speculation, supposition, surmisal, surmise, guess, conjecture, hypothesis - a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence |
| 2. | divination - a prediction uttered under divine inspiration oracle - a prophecy (usually obscure or allegorical) revealed by a priest or priestess; believed to be infallible | |
| 3. |  divination - the art or gift of prophecy (or the pretense of prophecy) by supernatural meansprophecy, vaticination, prognostication - knowledge of the future (usually said to be obtained from a divine source) arithmancy - divination by means of numbers geomancy - divination by means of signs connected with the earth (as points taken at random or the arrangement of particles thrown down at random or from the configuration of a region and its relation to another) hydromancy - divination by water (as by patterns seen in the ebb and flow of the tides) lithomancy - divination by means of stones or stone talismans necromancy - conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying oneiromancy - divination through the interpretation of dreams onomancy - divination by the letters of a name pyromancy - divination by fire or flames |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
divination
noun prediction, divining, prophecy, presage, foretelling, clairvoyance, fortune-telling, prognostication, augury, soothsaying, sortilege Every method of divination is a philosophy about the world.
Divination
Methods of divination astrology, clairvoyance, crystal gazing, dice, dowsing, I Ching, numerology, palmistry, runes, scrying, sortilege, tarot, tea leaves
Means of divination ailuromancycats alphitomancywheat or barley cakes arachnomancyspiders astragalomancydice bibliomancypassages from books cartomancycards catoptromancymirror ceromancymelted wax chiromancyhands cleidomancysuspended key crithomancyfreshly baked bread cromniomancyonions crystallomancycrystal ball dactylomancysuspended ring geomancyearth, sand, or dust hippomancyhorses hydromancywater lampadomancyoil lamps lithomancyprecious stones lychnomancyflames of wax candles molybdomancymolten lead necromancythe dead oneiromancydreams ornithomancybirds pegomancysacred pool pyromancyfire or flames radiesthesiapendulum rhabdomancyrod or wand sciomancyghosts tasseographytea leaves theomancygod tyromancycheese
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
divination
nounSomething that is foretold by or as if by supernatural means:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَكَهُّن بالغَيْب
věštbavěštění
spådomskunst
ennustaminenennustuskaivonkatsominenselvännäkeminen
megérzés
spakleg ágiskun; spádómur
占い
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
divination
n → Prophezeiung f, → Weissagung f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
divine
(diˈvain) adjective1. of or belonging to God or a god. divine wisdom.
2. very good or excellent. What divine weather!
verb to find out by keen understanding. I managed to divine the truth.
ˌdiviˈnation (divi-) noundiˈviner noun
a person who has or claims a special ability to find hidden water or metals.
diˈvining noun discovering the presence of underground water, metal etc by holding a diˈvining-rod which moves when held directly above the water etc. water-divining.
diˈvinity (-ˈvi-) – plural diˈvinities – noun1. religious studies.
2. a god or goddess. The ancient Greeks worshipped many divinities.
3. the state of being divine. the divinity of God.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.