crystal ball

noun

1. a ball of clear crystal, glass, or the like, used in crystal gazing.
2. a method or means of predicting the future.

crystal ball

noun

1. the glass globe used in crystal gazing

Word History and Origins

Origin of crystal ball¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Idioms and Phrases

A means of predicting the future, as in So what does your crystal ball say about the coming election? The term is a figurative use of the crystal or glass ball used by fortune-tellers. [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

If they’d had access to a crystal ball at the time, Vox Media might have chosen a different month to launch its first party data solution, Forte.

From Digiday

Obviously, if I had a crystal ball and knew what was going to happen, there’s many things I would’ve changed.

From Ozy

Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang doesn’t need a crystal ball to see where artificial intelligence will be used in the future.

From TechCrunch

The big question, of course, is what happens next, and none of us has a crystal ball.

From Vox

Naturally, the Cullinan includes a crystal ball that shows the future.

From Popular-Science

The two crystal ball gazers have been engaged in a running battle on Twitter, on their own websites, and in the media at large.

From The Daily Beast

Doritos: Crystal Ball Year: 2009 Ad Meter Score: 8.46 Kellogg Grade: A Share Price Change: 1.88 percent 3.

From The Daily Beast

Peter Lauria gazes into his crystal ball for these and more forecasts for the coming year.

From The Daily Beast

“My crystal ball was set back 15 years,” Rodriguez said ruefully.

From The Daily Beast

Exception: this gem of juvenile male humor, featuring a not-so-magic crystal ball.

From The Daily Beast

He unrolled it, and within that again found a little crystal ball about the size of a dove's egg.

From Project Gutenberg

The crystal ball became as it were a ball of fire revolving within itself.

From Project Gutenberg

He lifted down a crystal ball on a small black polished wooden stand and handed it over.

From Project Gutenberg

I should like the crystal ball to show me what my husband will be like.

From Project Gutenberg

There was no hidden secret which that crystal ball could not tell.

From Project Gutenberg