haruspicy

American  

[huh-ruhs-puh-see] / həˈrʌs pə si /

Also aruspicy

noun

1. divination by a haruspex.

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Other Word Forms

• haruspical adjective

Etymology

Origin of haruspicy

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin haruspicium, equivalent to haruspic- (stem of haruspex ) + -ium noun suffix; see -ium

Explanation

Haruspicy was a method of predicting what might happen in the future. In ancient Rome, haruspicy involved seeking omens inside the bodies of sacrificed animals. Haruspicy comes from the Latin haruspex, "soothsayer by means of entrails," and roots meaning "observe" and "entrails." Entrails are internal organs, or guts, and this ancient form of fortune telling involved inspecting the insides of dead animals in search of meaningful signs or portents. The liver, lungs, and heart were considered especially important in haruspicy, able to signify the approval or disapproval of the gods.

Example Sentences

From the unaccountably vast array of possibles Google provides the answer you seek, rather like fortunetelling and haruspicy or the priests who stood in the templum watching the sky for augurs and omens.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2015