| 释义 |
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.
c1374Chaucer 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. 1602Shakes. 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. 1718Pope Iliad xvii. 259 Ennomus, in augury renown'd. 1846Arnold Hist. Rome I. i. 6 Enquired of the gods by augury.
b. Skill in divining from omens; prophetic skill.
1591Shakes. Two Gent. iv. iv. 73 Thy face, and thy behauiour, Which (if my Augury deceiue me not) Witnesse good bringing vp. 1611Beaum. & 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.
1742Middleton Cicero II. vi. 85 The onely one of the College, who maintained the truth of their auguries, and the reality of divination. 1861Hook Lives Abps. I. v. 223 To put down pagan observances, auguries, phylacteries, and incantations. 1875Stubbs 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.
1612Drayton Polyolb. xii. 206 From their flight strange auguries shee drew. 1656Cowley Acme & Sept. iii, The God of Love..Sneez'd aloud, and all around The little Loves..Bow'd, and bless'd the Augury. 1718Pope Iliad xxiv. 388 Jove..from the throne on high Dispatch'd his bird, celestial augury! 1876Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. ii. xi. 87 The appropriateness of the event seemed an augury.
4. fig. Foreboding from tokens, presentiment, anticipation.
1783T. Bland in Sparks Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853) IV. 25, I am led to form the most pleasing augury of our future greatness. 1871Browning 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.
1797Godwin Enquirer i. xvi. 156 Tameness is the characteristic of most fatal augury. 1843Prescott Mexico ii. i. (1864) 68 He resigned himself..with a docility that gave little augury of his future greatness. |