bibliomancy

American

[bib-lee-oh-man-see] / ˈbɪb li oʊˌmæn si /

noun

divination by means of a book, especially the Bible, opened at random to some verse or passage, which is then interpreted.

bibliomancy British

/ ˈbɪblɪəʊˌmænsɪ /

noun

prediction of the future by interpreting a passage chosen at random from a book, esp the Bible

"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

Etymology

Origin of bibliomancy

First recorded in 1745–55; biblio- + -mancy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

bibliomancy

Mandel had a better way of making that happen than a rabbit’s foot, bibliomancy or knocking on wood.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 27, 2019

Outside his work his tastes lay in the direction of botany and bibliomancy, which latter, according to the dictionary, is "Divination performed by selecting passages of Scripture at hazard."

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, April 18, 1917 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023