mən noun
1.
anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent.
2.
a prognostic.
3.
prophetic significance; presage: a bird of ill omen.
verb (used with object)
4.
to be an omen of; portend.
5.
to divine, as if from omens.
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Omen
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
Origin:
1575–85; < Latin ōmen
1575–85; < Latin ōmen
Related forms
un·o·mened, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To omen
Collins
World English Dictionary
omen (ˈəʊmən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a phenomenon or occurrence regarded as a sign of future happiness or disaster |
| 2. | prophetic significance |
| —vb | |
| 3. | (tr) to portend |
| [C16: from Latin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
omen
1582, from L. omen "foreboding," from Old L. osmen, of unknown origin; perhaps connected with the root of audire "to hear."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
Example sentences
The couple take this bit of news as a bad omen and the fragile ties they have rebuilt fall apart.
But word of its horrible condition is spreading through the souks, where traders see it as a bad omen.
You'd think her da was dead wrong when he worried about the omen of the sun on the day of her birth.
It harms no creature, and its presence is considered a good omen.
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