augury
(ˈɔːgjʊərɪ)
[a. OF. augurie, ad. L. augurium: cf. augure.]
1. The art of the augur: the practice of divining from the flight of birds, etc.; divination.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 88, I have eke foundyn by astronomye, By sort, and by augury eke truly..That fere and flaum on al the toun shal sprede. 1602 Shakes. Ham. v. ii. 230 Not a whit, we defie Augury..If it be now, 'tis not to come: if it bee not to come, it will bee now. 1718 Pope Iliad xvii. 259 Ennomus, in augury renown'd. 1846 Arnold Hist. Rome I. i. 6 Enquired of the gods by augury. |
b. Skill in divining from omens; prophetic skill.
| 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. iv. 73 Thy face, and thy behauiour, Which (if my Augury deceiue me not) Witnesse good bringing vp. 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Philaster i. i, If he give not back his crown again, upon the report of an elder-gun, I have no augury. |
2. An augural observation, ceremony, or rite.
| 1742 Middleton Cicero II. vi. 85 The onely one of the College, who maintained the truth of their auguries, and the reality of divination. 1861 Hook Lives Abps. I. v. 223 To put down pagan observances, auguries, phylacteries, and incantations. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. I. ii. 30 The priests..took the auguries and gave the signal for onset. |
3. An omen drawn by augury; a prognostic, portent, significant token of any kind.
| 1612 Drayton Polyolb. xii. 206 From their flight strange auguries shee drew. 1656 Cowley Acme & Sept. iii, The God of Love..Sneez'd aloud, and all around The little Loves..Bow'd, and bless'd the Augury. 1718 Pope Iliad xxiv. 388 Jove..from the throne on high Dispatch'd his bird, celestial augury! 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. ii. xi. 87 The appropriateness of the event seemed an augury. |
4. fig. Foreboding from tokens, presentiment, anticipation.
| 1783 T. Bland in Sparks Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853) IV. 25, I am led to form the most pleasing augury of our future greatness. 1871 Browning Balaust. 2300 Be not extravagant in grief, no less! Bear it, by augury of better things! |
5. fig. Indication or signification of the future afforded by any thing; presage, promise.
| 1797 Godwin Enquirer i. xvi. 156 Tameness is the characteristic of most fatal augury. 1843 Prescott Mexico ii. i. (1864) 68 He resigned himself..with a docility that gave little augury of his future greatness. |