ornithomancy

A fortune teller practices ornithomancy by observing a flock of birds in flight.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Divination by birds: "Ornithomancy" is the practice of foretelling the future or interpreting omens by observing the behavior, flight patterns, or calls of birds.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The ancient Romans practiced ornithomancy to decide whether to go to war. (They used bird observations to predict outcomes.)
  • In Greek mythology, ornithomancy was a respected form of prophecy. (Bird-based divination was taken seriously.)

Advanced Usage

• "to practice ornithomancy": to engage in the art of bird divination.

  • The seer spent years learning ornithomancy from the elders. (He studied how to interpret bird signs.)

• "ornithomantic signs": specific bird behaviors considered meaningful in divination.

  • The flight of eagles was seen as an ornithomantic sign of victory. (Eagle movements were interpreted as positive omens.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ornithomancer (n): a person who practices ornithomancy.

  • The ornithomancer studied the crows for an hour before giving his prediction. (The bird diviner made a forecast.)

• Ornithomantic (adj): relating to ornithomancy.

  • She consulted an ornithomantic guidebook for ancient rituals. (A book about bird divination.)

Synonyms

• Auspicy: the observation of birds for omens (a broader term for bird-based divination).
• Augury: the practice of interpreting omens from bird behavior (often used synonymously with ornithomancy).

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms

• "to read the birds": a colloquial expression for practicing ornithomancy.

  • The shaman would read the birds before the harvest. (He interpreted bird omens.)

• "a bird of omen": a bird believed to carry a prophetic message.

  • The raven was considered a bird of omen in ornithomancy. (A raven's appearance was seen as significant.)