augur1
[aw-ger]
- one of a group of ancient Roman officials charged with observing and interpreting omens for guidance in public affairs.
- soothsayer; prophet.
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- to divine or predict, as from omens; prognosticate.
- to serve as an omen or promise of; foreshadow; betoken: Mounting sales augur a profitable year.
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- to conjecture from signs or omens; predict.
- to be a sign; bode: The movement of troops augurs ill for the peace of the area.
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Origin of augur1
augur2
[aw-ger]Western U.S.
- to argue, talk, or converse.
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- an excessively talkative person.
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Origin of augur2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for augur
Contemporary Examples
And they augur badly for the overall effort, revealing the deep level of distrust the Turkish president harbors for the West.
This is a trend that does not augur well for a Paul candidacy.
The three elections were all about the same thing—hope for this new future the Obama coalition seemed to augur, or fear of it.
The pope's comment that he wouldn't 'judge' gay priests seemed to augur a new era of inclusiveness from the church.
That disregard does not augur well for the coming debate over immigration reform.
Historical Examples
I say this, because for the present project I can augur no success.
Gerald FitzgeraldCharles James Lever
Tell me frankly what could you augur for a cause of which this youth was to be the champion?'
Gerald FitzgeraldCharles James Lever
Chipping it with an adze, and boring it with an augur, to ascertain its quality.
The Sailor's Word-BookWilliam Henry Smyth
I augur little success from the plan which you have been induced to follow.
The Peasant and the PrinceHarriet Martineau
In so far their suggestion would not augur well for the execution.
Face to Face with KaiserismJames W. Gerard
augur
- Also called: auspex (in ancient Rome) a religious official who observed and interpreted omens and signs to help guide the making of public decisions
- any prophet or soothsayer
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- to predict (some future event), as from signs or omens
- (tr; may take a clause as object) to be an omen (of); presage
- (intr) to foreshadow future events to be as specified; bodethis augurs well for us
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin: a diviner, perhaps from augēre to increase
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for augur
n.
1540s, from Latin augur, a religious official in ancient Rome who foretold events by interpreting omens, perhaps originally meaning "an increase in crops enacted in ritual," in which case it probably is from Old Latin *augos (genitive *augeris) "increase," and is related to augere "increase" (see augment). The more popular theory is that it is from Latin avis "bird," because the flights, singing, and feeding of birds, along with entrails from bird sacrifices, were important objects of divination (cf. auspicious). In that case, the second element would be from garrire "to talk."
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v.
c.1600, from augur (n.). Related: Augured; auguring.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper