rhabdomancy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈɹæb.dəˌmæn.si/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
Etymology
From rhabdo- + -mancy, first attested in 1646. From Latin rhabdomantīa, from Ancient Greek ῥαβδομαντεία (rhabdomanteía), from ῥάβδος (rhábdos, “rod”) + μαντεία (manteía, “divination”).
Meanings
-
(uncountable) Divination with wands or rods, especially to use a divining rod to find things below the ground.
This question of buried treasure exercised the minds of ancient occultists considerably, and in connection with it there was frequently employed the art of Rhabdomancy, which was similar to that of water divining or water "dousing".
1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 145:
Relateds
rhabdomancer · rhabdomantist · rhabdom
Synonyms
Translations (8)
de Rhabdomantie (divination with wands and rods) · ca rabdomància (divination with wands and rods) · grc ῥαβδομαντεία (divination with wands and rods) · it rabdomanzia (divination with wands and rods) · de Stabwahrsagerei (divination with wands and rods) · es rabdomancia (divination with wands and rods) · ro rabdomanție (divination with wands and rods) · el ραβδομαντεία (divination with wands and rods)