oracle
oracle, in Greek religion, priest or priestess who imparted the response of a god to a human questioner. The word is also used to refer to the response itself and to the shrine of a god. Every oracular shrine had a fixed method of divination. Many observed signs, such as the motion of objects dropped into a spring, the movement of birds, or the rustle of leaves. Often dreams were interpreted. A later and popular method involved the use of entranced persons whose ecstatic cries were interpreted by trained attendants. Before an oracle was questioned consultants underwent rites of purification and sacrifice. There were many established oracles in ancient Greece, the most famous being those of Zeus at Dodona and of Apollo at Delphi and at Didyma in Asia Minor. Other oracular shrines were located in Syria, Egypt, and Italy.
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oracle
Recorded from late Middle English, the word comes via Old French from Latin oraculum, from orare ‘speak’.
oracle bones the bones of a ritually-killed animal, carved with script and used in ancient China for divination.
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oracle
or·a·cle / ˈôrəkəl/ • n. 1. a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity. ∎ a place at which such advice or prophecy was sought. ∎ a person or thing regarded as an infallible authority or guide on something: casting the attorney general as the oracle for and guardian of the public interest is simply impossible. 2. a response or message given by an oracle, typically one that is ambiguous or obscure.
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oracle
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"oracle." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. 21 Apr. 2018 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.
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oracle
So oracular XVII.
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ORACLE
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Oracle
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oracle
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Oracle
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