auspex
Roman omen reader
An auspex was a Roman religious official who interpreted omens by observing the flight patterns and behavior of birds.
The practice, called augury, guided major decisions of state—wars, elections, public works.
The word survives mainly in *auspices* and *auspicious*, which retain the sense of favorable signs or guidance: under the auspices of the university.
One who reads omens
- priestOne who performs sacraments
- EtruscanAncient central Italian people
- RomanOf ancient Italy's capital
- togaAncient draped garment
temple · ritual · sacrifice · entrails · gods · Latin · classical · antiquity
Prophetic indicator
- portentSign of future calamity
- signMark conveying information
- prophecyForetelling of future events
- prognosticationForetelling future events
oracle · seer · diviner · scrying · interpretation · flight · thunder · lightning
Fearful anticipation of harm
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- warningAlert about danger
- foreshadowingHinting at later events
presage · fate · destiny · vision · favorable · unfavorable · blessing · curse
augur
One who reads omens
- priestOne who performs sacraments
- EtruscanAncient central Italian people
- RomanOf ancient Italy's capital
toga · temple · ritual · sacrifice · entrails · gods · Latin · classical · antiquity · mythology
omen
Prophetic indicator
prognostication · oracle · seer · diviner · scrying · interpretation · flight · thunder · lightning · favorable
foreboding
Fearful anticipation of harm
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
- harbingerOne who foreshadows
- warningAlert about danger
foreshadowing · presage · fate · destiny · vision · favorable · unfavorable · blessing · curse · sanction
auspexsibyl
Ancient female prophet
oracle · astrologer · necromancer · chiromancer · pyromancer
auspexskeptic
One who doubts claims
empiricist · rationalist · scientist · atheist · materialist
- auspicious dayFavorable time for undertakings
- auspicious datesTimes deemed favorable