crystal ball

American  

noun

1. a ball of clear crystal, glass, or the like, used in crystal gazing.

2. a method or means of predicting the future.

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crystal ball British  

noun

1. the glass globe used in crystal gazing

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crystal ball Idioms  

1. 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]

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Etymology

Origin of crystal ball

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

But you didn’t have a crystal ball, and you played by the rules of the game.

From MarketWatch

As long as investors remain desperate for a crystal ball to show how AI will affect the world as we know it—the volatility will persist.

From Barron's

But unless you have an unusually good crystal ball about when the next bear market will begin, there’s no reason to change your investment strategy for making money in the stock market.

From MarketWatch

Barron’s doesn’t know; our crystal ball is at the factory for its annual cleaning.

From Barron's

If we hadn’t already predicted she was going to break it for Richard Gere’s financier, this bubbly moment was our crystal ball glimpse into their eventual happy ending.

From Salon