oracle en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɒɹəkəl/
- (US) audio
- /ˈɔɹəkəl/
Etymology
From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n.
Meanings
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A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
The oracles are dumb; / No voice or hideous hum / Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
1629, John Milton, “On the Morning of Christs Nativity”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC:
- A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.
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A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
The several oracles included in this haftarah presumably were uttered at different times to the people in exile, presenting diverse themes and using distinct styles.
2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 94:
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(archaic, figuratively) Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
Shee ſtiles her ſelfe their Chiefe, and ſweares ſhee will command; / And, what-ſo-ere ſhee ſaith, for Oracles muſt ſtand.
1612, Michael Drayton, “The Second Song”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →OCLC, page 29:Fight all couragiouſly and be you kings, I ſpeake it, and my words are oracles.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
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A person considered to be a source of wisdom.
a literary oracle
oracles of mode
1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:The country rectors […] thought him an oracle on points of learning.
1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:
- A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
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A fortune-teller.
"Madame de l'Hôpital has been quite la fée bienfaisante" said Lauzun, who, like others, had been consulting the oracle. "I am bewildered by my future good fortune. I quite anticipate being married, if it is to bring me all that she predicts."
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 46:
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One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
God hath now sent his living oracle / Into the world to teach his final will.
1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 1:
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(Jewish, historical) The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
Siloa's brook, that flow'd / Fast by the oracle of God.
1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 6:19:
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A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
Thus, an oracle machine (which enacts an oracle algorithm) would be like an ordinary Turing machine, except that adjoined to its ordinary computational operations would be another operation: ‘Call in the oracle and ask it whether C_q(n) stops; […]
1994, Roger Penrose, “Quantum theory and the brain”, in Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 380:
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A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.
For example, an oracle may send temperature data reported by the National Weather Service or report the daily LIBOR rate to a smart contract.
2020, Daniel T. Stabile, Kimberly A. Prior, Andrew M. Hinkes, “Smart Contracts”, in Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, Edward Elgar Publishing, →ISBN, page 223:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| oracles | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
oracle card · oracular · oraclelike · oracle machine · dice oracle · oracally · alphabet oracle · oracle bone · Goracle · work the oracle · oracle bone script
Hyponyms
haruspex · astrologer · predictress · clairvoyante · spaeman · doomsayer · seeress · necromancer · geomancer · augur · palmister · aeromancer · spaewife · chiromancer
Relateds
Cassandra · Pythia · Pythoness · Zadkiel · predict · Tiresias · magician · divination · Old Moore · precognition · shape-shifter · Sphinx · Sibyl
Synonyms
precognitive · expert · foreteller · ariolater · soothsayer · spaer · clairvoyant · duckerer · diviner · precog · prophet · prognosticator · scryer · prophet · pythonist · oracle · fortuneteller · sortilegus · Chaldean · divinator · predictor · seer
Translations (90)
de Orakel (prophetic response) · fr oracle (shrine to prophetic deity) · tr ırkıl (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · tr ırkıl (person who is a source of wisdom) · la fatus (shrine to prophetic deity) · is spáprestur (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · is spakvitringur (person who is a source of wisdom) · ja オラクル (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · hu jóslat (prophetic response) · grc χρησμῳδός (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · grc χρησμός (prophetic response) · el χρησμός (prophetic response) · pt oráculo (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · ja 神託 (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · de Orakel (shrine to prophetic deity) · is goðsvar (prophetic response) · ja 賢人 (person who is a source of wisdom) · tr tapınak (shrine to prophetic deity) · tr arkıl (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · ga oracal (prophetic response) · la fatus (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · ca oracle (shrine to prophetic deity) · fi oraakkeli (person who is a source of wisdom) · de Orakel (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · grc μαντεῖον (shrine to prophetic deity) · fr oracle (prophetic response) · it divinazione (prophetic response) · mi matatuhi (person who is a source of wisdom) · la fatus (person who is a source of wisdom) · ar كَاهِن (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · el μαντείο (shrine to prophetic deity) · ru прорица́тель (person who is a source of wisdom) · es oráculo (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · pt oráculo (person who is a source of wisdom) · ru ора́кул (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · it oracolo (prophetic response) · ar عَرَّاف (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · bg пророчество (prophetic response) · hu jósda (shrine to prophetic deity) · eo oraklo (prophetic response) · ja 託宣 (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · ga oracal (shrine to prophetic deity) · ru ора́кул (shrine to prophetic deity) · ru ора́кул (person who is a source of wisdom) · fi oraakkeli (shrine to prophetic deity) · bg оракул (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · da orakel (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · fi oraakkeli (prophetic response) · mi matatuhi (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · mi tohunga ahurewa (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · mi ahurewa (shrine to prophetic deity) · ar إِلْهَام (prophetic response) · sv orakel (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · ga saineolaí (person who is a source of wisdom) · la fatus (prophetic response) · is goðsvari (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · is véfrétt (prophetic response) · it oracolo (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · tr ırık (prophetic response) · tr orakl (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · el μάντης (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · pl wyrocznia (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · tr arkıl (person who is a source of wisdom) · it oracolo (shrine to prophetic deity) · cs věštírna (shrine to prophetic deity) · sl orakelj (shrine to prophetic deity) · cs orákulum (shrine to prophetic deity) · fr oracle (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · pt oráculo (shrine to prophetic deity) · fi oraakkeli (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · ga oracal (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · tr orakul (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · pt oráculo (prophetic response) · ru прорица́ние (prophetic response) · tr mabet (shrine to prophetic deity) · bg оракул (shrine to prophetic deity) · de Orakelspruch (prophetic response) · da orakel (person who is a source of wisdom) · cmn 甲骨文 (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · de Orakel (person who is a source of wisdom) · sv orakel (person who is a source of wisdom) · gl oráculo (shrine to prophetic deity) · tr kâhin (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · bg мъдрец (person who is a source of wisdom) · ga saoi (person who is a source of wisdom) · fr oracle (person who is a source of wisdom) · hu jós (priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice) · tr ırım (prophetic response) · is véfrétt (shrine to prophetic deity) · sq fatthënie (prophetic response)