Divination Definition, Prefix, Suffix, Ologies and Isms, Divination Information and Meaning
See also ASTROLOGY; FUTURE; MAGIC.
- aeromancy
- 1. the art or science of divination by means of the air or winds.
- 2. Humorous. weather forecasting. Cf. austromancy.
- alectoromancy, alectryomancy
- a form of divination by recording the letters revealed as a cock eats kernels of corn that cover them.
- aleuromancy
- an old form of divination using meal or flour. —aleuromantic, adj.
- alomancy
- halomancy.
- alphitomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of barley.
- ambulomancy
- a form of divination involving walking, usually in circles. Cf. gyromancy.
- amniomancy
- a form of divination by examining the embryonic sac or amniotic fluid.
- anthracomancy
- the art of divination through the study of burning coals. —anthracomantic, adj.
- anthropomancy
- a form of divination using the entrails of dead men. —anthropomantist, n. —anthropomantic, adj.
- arithmancy
- numerology.
- armomancy
- a form of divination involving the shoulders of animals. Cf. spatulamancy.
- aspidomancy
- a form of divination involving examination of a shield.
- astragalomancy
- 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.
- astrology
- a form of divination involving the relative positions of heavenly bodies. Also called genethlialogy, genethliacs.
- astromancy
- divination by observation of the stars. Also called sideromancy.
- augury
- 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.
- austromancy
- divination by observing the winds, especially the south wind. Cf. aeromancy.
- axinomancy
- a form of divination involving the use of an axhead. —axinomantic, adj.
- belomancy
- divination in which marks or words are placed on arrows which are then drawn from a quiver at random.
- bibliomancy
- a form of divination using books or the Bible in which passages are chosen at random and the future foretold from them.
- botanomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of plants.
- capnomancy
- a form of divination involving smoke.
- cartomancy
- a form of divination involving playing cards.
- catoptromancy
- a form of divination involving a crystal ball or mirrors.
- cephalomancy
- a form of divination involving the head.
- ceraunomancy
- a form of divination involving thunder or thunderbolts.
- ceromancy
- a form of divination involving dropping melted wax into water.
- chalcomancy
- a form of divination involving brass vessels.
- chaomancy
- a form of divination involving aerial visions.
- chiromancy, cheiromancy
- palmistry.
- chronomancy
- a divination to determine the precise time for action.
- cleidomancy, clidomancy
- a form of divination involving a key or keys.
- cleromancy
- astragalomancy.
- coscinomancy
- a form of divination involving a sieve and shears. —coscinomantic, adj.
- crithomancy
- a form of divination involving the strewing of grain over the bodies of sacrificed animals. —crithomantic, adj.
- crystallomancy
- a form of divination involving crystal-gazing.
- cubomancy
- Rare. a form of divination involving thrown dice. —cubomantic, adj.
- dactyliomancy
- a form of divination involving finger rings.
- demonomancy
- a form of divination involving a demon or demons.
- empyromancy
- a form of divination involving a fire and smoke.
- enoptromancy
- a form of divination involving a mirror and its reflections.
- extispicy
- haruspicy. —extispex, n. —extispicious, adj.
- gastromancy
- 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.
- geloscopy, gelotoscopy
- a form of divination that determines a person’s character or future from the way he laughs.
- genethlialogy, genethliacs
- astrology.
- geomancy
- 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.
- graphology
- 1. a form of divination involving analysis of handwriting. Also graptomancy.
- 2. a technique of personality analysis involving the examination of handwriting.
- graptomancy
- graphology def. 1.
- gyromancy
- a form of divination involving walking in a circle. Cf. ambulomancy.
- halomancy
- a form of divination involving the use of salt. Also called alomancy.
- hariolation
- the act or art of prognostication or divination; soothsaying.
- haruspicy, haruspication
- 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.
- hematomancy, haematomancy
- divination by means of blood.
- hieromancy
- a form of divination involving sacrificial remains or sacred objects. Also called hieroscopy.
- hippomancy
- a form of divination involving the observation of horses, especially by listening to their neighing.
- horoscopy
- 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.
- hydromancy
- a form of divination involving observations of water or of other liquids.
- ichnomancy
- the analysis of the personality and appearance of people by studying their footprints. —ichnomantic, adj.
- ichthyomancy
- a form of divination involving the head or entrails of fishes.
- idolomancy
- a form of divination involving idols.
- lampadomancy
- a form of divination involving observation of the flame of a torch or lamp. Cf. lychnomancy.
- lecanomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of water in a basin.
- lithomancy
- a form of divination involving rocks or stones.
- logarithmomancy
- a form of divination involving logarithms.
- logomancy
- a form of divination involving the observation of words and discourse.
- lychnomancy
- a form of divination involving lamps. Cf. lampadomancy.
- manticism
- the art of divination and prophecy. —mantic, adj.
- mantology
- Obsolete, the art of fortune-telling. —mantologist, n.
- margaritomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of pearls.
- meteoromancy
- a form of divination involving the observation of meteors.
- metopomancy
- Rare. a form of divination involving examination of facial features.
- molybdomancy
- Rare. a form of divination by studying the motion of molten lead.
- moromancy
- a form of divination that is flawed or foolish.
- myomancy
- a form of divination through observation of the movements of mice.
- necromancy
- 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.
- nephelognosy
- divination by the observation of clouds.
- nomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of letters, possibly from a graphological point of view. Cf. onomancy.
- numerology
- a form of divination involving numbers. Also called arithmancy.
- oenomancy, oinomancy
- a form of divination involving observation of the colors and other features of wine.
- omoplatoscopy
- a form of divination involving the examination of shoulder blades. Cf. armomancy, scapulomancy, spatulamancy.
- omphalomancy
- 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.
- oneiromancy
- a form of divination involving dreams. —oneiromancer, n.
- onomancy, onomomancy
- a form of divination involving the letters of a name. Cf. nomancy.
- onychomancy
- a form of divination involving examination of the fingernails.
- oomancy
- a form of divination involving eggs.
- ophiomancy
- a form of divination involving snakes.
- ornithomancy, ornithoscopy
- a form of divination involving the observation of birds, especially in flight.
- osteomancy, osteomanty
- divination by the examination of bones. —osteomantic, adj.
- palmistry
- a form of divination involving analysis of the appearance of the hand, especially of its various lines. Also called chiromancy, cheiromancy.
- pedomancy
- a form of divination involving the study of the soles of the feet. Also called podomancy.
- pegomancy
- a form of divination by studying springs or fountains. —pegomantic, adj.
- pessomancy
- a form of divination involving pebbles. Also called psephology, psephomancy.
- phyllomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of leaves.
- podomancy
- pedomancy.
- psephology
- pessomancy.
- psephomancy
- 1. pessomancy
- 2. a form of divination involving the study of marks made on pebbles which are drawn at random from a container.
- pseudomancy
- a form of divination that is deliberately false or misleading.
- psychomancy
- a form of divination involving communication with the spirits of the dead.
- pyromancy
- a form of divination involving fire or flames.
- pythonism
- a form of divination in the manner of Pythia, the Delphic priestess.
- rhabdomancy
- a form of divination involving a rod or wand, especially to locate objects or materials beneath the ground, as water or precious metals; dowsing.
- rhapsodomancy
- a form of divination involving verses.
- scapulomancy
- 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.
- scatomancy
- a form of divination by examination of excrement.
- schematomancy
- divination of a person’s future from observation of physical appearance.
- sciomancy
- a form of divination through communication with the spirits of the dead. —sciomantic, adj.
- scyphomancy
- a form of divination involving the use of a cup.
- selenomancy
- a form of divination involving observation of the moon.
- sibyl
- Ancient Greece and Rome. a woman with oracular or prophetic powers, the most celebrated being that of Cumae. —sibyllic, —sibylic, sibylline, adj.
- sibyllist
- 1. a believer in or follower of the sibyls.
- 2. a believer in their prophecies.
- sideromancy
- 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.
- sortilege
- a form of divination involving drawing lots.
- spasmatomancy
- a form of divination used to foretell disease by observing spasms or twitching of the potential sufferer’s body.
- spatilomancy, spatalamancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of animal feces.
- spatulamancy
- a form of divination by means of an animal’s shoulder blade. Cf. armomancy, omoplatoscopy, scapuloniancy. —spatulamantic, adj.
- spodomancy
- a form of divination through the uses of ashes. —spodomantic, adj.
- sternomancy
- a form of divination involving examination of the breastbone.
- stichomancy
- a form of divination involving lines of poetry or passages from books.
- stignomancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of writing on or carving in the bark of a tree.
- sycomancy
- a form of divination involving figs or fig leaves.
- telegnosis
- clairvoyance or other occult or supernatural knowledge.
- tephramancy, tephromancy
- a form of divination involving the examination of the ashes remaining af ter a sacrifice.
- theomancy
- a form of divination involving the responses of oracles or other soothsayers.
- theriomancy
- 1. a form of divination involving wild beasts.
- 2. a form of divination based upon observation of the movements of animals. Cf. zoomancy.
- tyromancy
- a form of divination involving observation of cheese, especially as it coagulates.
- uromancy
- Rare. a form of divination by studying urine. —uromantic, adj.
- xylomancy
- a form of divination involving pieces of wood.
- zoomancy
- a form of divination based upon the observation of animals or their movements under certain circumstances. Cf. theriomancy.