oracle
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɔɹəkəl/
ipa: /ˈɒɹəkəl/
homophone: auricle
Forms: form: oracles
Etymology: From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n.
Senses: examples: text: The oracles are dumb; / No voice or hideous hum / Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
ref: 1629, John Milton, “On the Morning of Christs Nativity”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC:
glosses: A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
synonyms: prophet
glosses: A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 94:
glosses: A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
examples: text: Fight all couragiouſly and be you kings,
I ſpeake it, and my words are oracles.
ref: 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:
text: Shee ſtiles her ſelfe their Chiefe, and ſweares ſhee will command; / And, what-ſo-ere ſhee ſaith, for Oracles muſt ſtand.
ref: 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:
glosses: Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
examples: text: a literary oracle
text: oracles of mode
ref: 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:
text: The country rectors […] thought him an oracle on points of learning.
ref: 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:
synonyms: expert
glosses: A person considered to be a source of wisdom.
glosses: A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
examples: text: "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."
ref: 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 46:
glosses: A fortune-teller.
examples: text: God hath now sent his living oracle / Into the world to teach his final will.
ref: 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:
glosses: One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
examples: text: And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 6:19:
text: Siloa's brook, that flow'd / Fast by the oracle of God.
ref: 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:
glosses: The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
examples: text: 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; […]
ref: 1994, Roger Penrose, “Quantum theory and the brain”, in Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 380:
topics: computing
computing-theory
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
examples: text: For example, an oracle may send temperature data reported by the National Weather Service or report the daily LIBOR rate to a smart contract.
ref: 2020, Daniel T. Stabile, Kimberly A. Prior, Andrew M. Hinkes, “Smart Contracts”, in Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, Edward Elgar Publishing, →ISBN, page 223:
topics: business
cryptocurrencies
cryptocurrency
finance
glosses: A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.
Synonyms: word: ariolater
word: Chaldean
topics: biblical
religion
lifestyle
word: clairvoyant
word: divinator
word: diviner
word: duckerer
word: foreteller
word: fortuneteller
word: oracle
word: precog
topics: science-fiction
literature
publishing
media
word: precognitive
word: predictor
word: prognosticator
word: prophet
word: pythonist
word: scryer
word: seer
word: soothsayer
word: sortilegus
word: spaer
Hyponyms: word: aeromancer
word: astrologer
word: augur
word: chiromancer
word: clairvoyante
word: geomancer
word: haruspex
word: doomsayer
word: necromancer
word: palmister
word: predictress
word: seeress
word: spaeman
word: spaewife
Derived terms: alphabet oracle
dice oracle
Goracle
oracally
oracle bone
oracle bone script
oracle card
oraclelike
oracle machine
work the oracle
Related terms: word: divination
word: precognition
word: predict
word: magician
word: shape-shifter