chiromancy

American  

[kahy-ruh-man-see] / ˈkaɪ rəˌmæn si /

noun

1. palmistry.

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chiromancy British  

/ ˈkaɪrəˌmænsɪ /

noun

1. another word for palmistry

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Other Word Forms

• chiromancer noun
• chiromantic adjective
• chiromantical adjective

Etymology

Origin of chiromancy

First recorded in 1520–30; chiro- + -mancy

Explanation

Chiromancy, or palmistry, is the art of reading palms to tell someone’s future. If you are in doubt about your future prom date or business venture, let chiromancy be your guide. If you like astrology and tarot cards, you might be interested in chiromancy, which involves looking at a person’s palms to determine their destiny. Chiromancy is a form of fortune-telling, and chiromancers look closely at the different lines on your palm to make predictions about your career, love life, and happiness. This is a rare word for what is usually called palmistry or palm-reading these days.

Example Sentences

Séances were a fad; so were hypnotism, chiromancy and telepathy.

From New York Times • Dec. 29, 2016

By the 17 century, the great age of wars of religion, palmistry, and chiromancy, knowledge of and on the hand would become major sciences.

From Slate • Nov. 15, 2012

Substituting an anatomical science�palmar dermatoglyphics�for the ancient pseudo-science of chiromancy.

From Time Magazine Archive

Let me here remark that an expert in chiromancy, after making a recent examination of my hand, exclaimed, "You inherit military blood; your hand shows it."

From Reminiscences, 1819-1899 by Howe, Julia Ward

After a short visit to Wittenberg 307 he went to Strassburg, where he lectured on alchemy and chiromancy, and occasionally preached.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various