hydromancy

American

[hahy-druh-man-see] / ˈhaɪ drəˌmæn si /

noun

divination by means of the motions or appearance of water.

hydromancy British

/ ˈhaɪdrəʊˌmænsɪ /

noun

divination by water

"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

Other Word Forms

hydromancer noun
hydromantic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hydromancy

1585–95; earlier hydromantie, -cie (< Middle French ) ≪ Late Greek hydromanteía divination by water; replacing Middle English ydromancye < Middle French ydromancie < L. See hydro- ¹, -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.

How many that are for hydromancy, that pretend in water to show men mighty mysteries?

From Project Gutenberg

In this work he also treated of the origin of hydromancy, and other superstitious divinations.

From Project Gutenberg

And at one side of the emperor’s table sit many philosophers that be proved for wise men in many diverse sciences, as of astronomy, necromancy, geomancy, pyromancy, hydromancy, of augury and of many other sciences.

From Project Gutenberg

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