examination of the livers of sacrificed animals as a technique of divination
Word origin
[1720–30; hepato- + -scopy]This word is first recorded in the period 1720–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: catchword, cordon bleu, joker, saloon, stylus-scopy is a combining form used to form abstract action nouns corresponding to nouns withstems ending in -scope. Other words that use the affix -scopy include: arthroscopy, bioscopy, fluoroscopy, radioscopy, spectroscopy