cheiromancy

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Divination by palm reading: "cheiromancy" refers to the practice of interpreting a person's character or predicting their future by examining the lines, shapes, and features of their hands, especially the palms. This is a form of fortune-telling or pseudoscience.
Usage Examples
  • (She was using palm reading to tell his fortune or analyze his character.)
  • (Palm reading was used for divination in various historical societies.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to practice cheiromancy": to engage in the act of palm reading as a profession or hobby.
    • She has practiced cheiromancy for decades, reading the palms of thousands of clients. (She has been a professional palm reader for a long time.)
  • "cheiromancy as a pseudoscience": the belief that palm reading is a valid method of divination, despite lacking scientific evidence.
    • Cheiromancy is often dismissed by scientists as a pseudoscience, yet it remains popular in some circles. (Palm reading is not scientifically accepted but still has followers.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Cheiromancer (noun): a person who practices cheiromancy; a palm reader.
    • The cheiromancer predicted a long journey from the lines on his hand. (The palm reader made a prediction based on the hand's features.)
  • Cheiromantic (adjective): relating to or characteristic of cheiromancy.
    • She gave a cheiromantic reading that impressed her audience. (Her palm reading was done in the style of cheiromancy.)
Synonyms
  • Palmistry: the art or practice of reading palms to tell fortunes or analyze character.
  • Chiromancy: an alternative spelling of cheiromancy, meaning the same thing.
  • Hand reading: a more general term for interpreting the hand's features.
Phrasal Verbs
  • (No common phrasal verbs are associated with "cheiromancy.")
Related Idioms
  • "Read someone's palm": to practice cheiromancy on a person.
    • The fortune teller offered to read my palm for a small fee. (She performed cheiromancy on me.)
  • "Have a good/bad hand line": a phrase used in cheiromancy to describe favorable or unfavorable predictions based on the palm's lines.
    • According to cheiromancy, a long life line means you will live a long time. (The palm line is interpreted to indicate longevity.)