omen
[ oh-muhn ]
/ ˈoʊ mən /
noun
anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.
a prognostic.
prophetic significance; presage: a bird of ill omen.
verb (used with object)
to be an omen of; portend.
to divine, as if from omens.
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Origin of omen
First recorded in 1575–85, omen is from the Latin word ōmen
Related formsun·o·mened, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for omen
British Dictionary definitions for omen
omen
/ (ˈəʊmən) /
noun
a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster
prophetic significance
verb
(tr) to portend
Word Origin for omen
C16: from Latin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for omen
omen
1580s, from Latin omen "foreboding," from Old Latin osmen, of unknown origin; perhaps connected with the root of audire "to hear" [OED] or from PIE *o- "to believe, hold as true" (cf. Greek oiomai "I suppose, think, believe").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper