divination
(dɪvɪˈneɪʃən)
[a. OF. divination (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. dīvīnātiōn-em, n. of action f. dīvīnāre to divine.]
1. The action or practice of divining; the foretelling of future events or discovery of what is hidden or obscure by supernatural or magical means; soothsaying, augury, prophecy. With a and pl., an exercise of this, a prophecy, an augury.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. v. pr. iv. 125 (Camb. MS.) Marchus tullius, whan he deuynede the dyuynaciouns, þat is to seyn in his book þat he wroot of diuinaciouns. 1382 Wyclif Acts xvi. 16 Sum wenche hauynge a spirit of dyuynacioun. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 57 Eiþer seide þat [he] hadde þe better dyuynacioun of foules [felicius augurium]. 1555 Eden Decades 309 To speke of thynges that shalbe, longe before they are, is a kynde of diuination. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1895) 80 The flying of birds, which doe geue a happy divination to things to come. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. ii. iv. §1 The Gentiles hearkend unto Oracles and Divinations. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 505 ¶5 Among the many pretended arts of divination, there is none which so universally amuses as that by dreams. 1879 D. M. Wallace Australas. v. 103 Divination is made by examination of the state of the body internally. |
| attrib. 1877 W. Jones Finger-ring 100 The annexed illustrations, representing divination rings, are taken from Liceti. |
2. In a weaker sense: Prevision or guessing by happy instinct or unusual insight; successful conjecture or guessing.
| 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, i. i. 88 Tell thou thy Earle, his Diuination lies. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iii. vii. §5 Whether he or they would have bin contented with an equall share..were perhaps a divination unnecessary. 1685 Ken Serm. Dan. x. 11 Wks. (1838) 169 It was such divination, such sagacity as this which interpreted to him [Daniel] all the dreams of human life. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Lit. Wks. (Bohn) II. 113 Richard Owen..adding sometimes the divination of the old masters to the unbroken power of labour in the English mind. |
3. Rom. Law. (See
quot. 1868.)
| 1823 in Crabb Technol. Dict. 1868 Smith Dict. Gr. & Rom. Antiq. s.v. Divinatio, If in any case two or more accusers came forward against one and the same individual, it was, as the phrase ran, decided by divination, who should be the chief..accuser..The judices had, as it were, to divine the course which they had to take. |
¶ catachr. Divine condition or state, divinity.
| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 1327 Of Dæmons some few..came to participate the divination of the gods. |