prognosticator
Americannoun
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a person who forecasts or predicts something future from present indications or signs; prophet.
Maybe this faltering team can somehow defy the prognosticators and experts and make the playoffs.
-
something that is a sign or indicator of a coming event.
The woolly bear caterpillars and other prognosticators of winter suggest we will have a more normal one this year.
Etymology
Origin of prognosticator
First recorded in 1550–60; prognosticat(e) ( def. ) + -or 2 ( def. )
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.
That isn't to say the prognosticator is fully in the bag for Harris.
From Salon • Nov. 21, 2024
Not to cast a shadow over your Groundhog Day fun, but flipping a coin is a better prognosticator of winter weather than the 39 percent success rate of Punxsutawney Phil and his coterie.
From Slate • Feb. 2, 2024
The category’s winner has historically been considered a strong prognosticator for the best picture Oscar, with 15 of the previous 20 winning films going on to receive the Academy Award.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2024
At the beginning of the season, it was hard to find a prognosticator who thought the Orioles would have a winning season, much less a chance to play late-October baseball.
From Washington Post • Aug. 30, 2022
The prognosticator could not lie, and soon the facade dissolved into individual reactions as acceptance became general.
From The Honored Prophet by Bentley, William E.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
