augur means A diviner who foretells events by the behaviour of birds or other animals, or by signs derived from celestial phenomena, or unusual occurrences. It carries an Arena rating of 1942, earned across 44 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, augur ranks #293 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #395 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #568 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,466 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
augur is pronounced /ˈɔːɡə/.
Why “augur” is a great word
An official diviner who interprets omens, especially from the flight of birds, to guide public decisions, or the act of making such a prediction. From Latin augur, a religious official and diviner, of uncertain origin; possibly related to ritual acts intended to produce an increase (e.g., in crops). Unlike a prophet, who channels divine revelation, or to portend, which warns of looming misfortune, to augur is to perform a technical reading of the natural world for signs of any future. It is the precise observation of a hawk’s sudden turn against the wind, the careful noting of a sacred chicken’s appetite, or the solemn declaration based on a pattern of lightning in a quarter of the sky—a ritual of finding intention in the chaos of chance, where every shiver in the underbrush might be syntax, and silence itself could be an answer.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin augur, of uncertain origin; akin to augurō (“interpret omens”).
noun
- A diviner who foretells events by the behaviour of birds or other animals, or by signs derived from celestial phenomena, or unusual occurrences.
- An official who interpreted omens before the start of public events.
verb
- To foretell events; to exhibit signs of future events; to indicate a favorable or an unfavorable outcome.e.g.“to augur well or ill”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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