omen

Omen

475. Omen (See also Prophecy.)

  1. Amasis ring discarded ring turns up predicting Polycrates death. [Gk. Hist.: Benét, 28]
  2. handwriting on the wall Daniel interprets supernatural sign as Belshazzars doom. [O.T.: Daniel 5:2528]
  3. huma oriental bird; every head over which its shadow passes was believed destined to wear a crown. [Ind. Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 472]
  4. Ides of March 15 March; prophesied as fateful for Caesar. [Br. Lit.: Julius Caesar ]
  5. merrow Irish mermaid; her appearance signifies coming storms. [Irish Folklore: Briggs, 290294]
  6. Mother Careys chickens stormy petrels; believed by sailors to be harbingers of storms. [Marine Folklore: Wheeler, 251]
  7. raven often presages death or catastrophe. [Animal Folklore: Jobes, 213]
  8. waff wraith whose appearance portends death. [Br. Folklore: Briggs, 425]
  9. white-winged crow bird of evil omen. [Chinese Folklore: Jobes, 388]
  10. Wotans ravens of misfortune, usually fatal. [Ger. Opera: Wagner, Götterdämmerung, Westerman, 245]
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"Omen." Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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"Omen." Allusions--Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. 1986. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505500484.html

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omen

omen sign or augury believed to foreshadow the future. Almost any occurrence can be interpreted as an omen. The typical omen was a natural phenomenon, such as a meteor, an eclipse, or the flight of birds. Among the Greeks and Romans the interpretation of omens was a major part of religious life and required trained priests, such as the Roman augur, to explain the meaning of the signs. Belief in omens still survives in superstitions concerning such things as black cats, nightmares, unlucky days, and breaking mirrors.

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"omen." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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omen

o·men / ˈōmən/ • n. an event regarded as a portent of good or evil: the ghost's appearance was an ill omen a rise in imports might be an omen of recovery. ∎  prophetic significance: the raven seemed a bird of evil omen.

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"omen." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"omen." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-omen.html

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Omen

Omen

Believed to be a sign or portent of some future event, occurring either as a result of some form of divination, or as an unusual or supernatural event prior to some great development or catastrophe.

(See Paranormal Signs )

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"Omen." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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omen

omen Observed phenomenon that can be interpreted as a prediction of future events, either good or bad. Common omens in folk beliefs include weather changes and astronomical events, especially the sudden appearance of a comet.

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"omen." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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omen

omen an event regarded as a portent of good or evil. Recorded from the late 16th century, the word comes from Latin, but its ultimate origin is unknown.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "omen." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "omen." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-omen.html

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omen

omen XVI. — L. ōmen, ōmin-, of uncert. orig.
So ominous XVI. — L. ōminōsus.

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T. F. HOAD. "omen." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "omen." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-omen.html

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omen

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