astragalomancy
|as-tra-gal-o-man-cy|
🇺🇸
/əˌstræɡəˈlɑːmənsi/
🇬🇧
/əˌstræɡəˈlɒmənsi/
divination with knucklebones
Etymology
'astragalomancy' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'astragalos' and 'manteia', where 'astragalos' meant 'ankle bone' and 'manteia' meant 'divination'.
'astragalomancy' was formed by combining Greek roots (astragalos + manteia), passed into New Latin/medieval scholarly usage as forms like 'astragalomantia' or similar borrowings, and eventually entered modern English as 'astragalomancy'.
Initially it meant 'divination using the astragalus (ankle/knucklebone)', and over time it has retained that specific meaning as the term for knucklebone-based divination.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
divination by casting and interpreting astragali (knucklebones) or similar small bones/dice; the practice of predicting events or fortunes from the way such bones fall.
In some ancient societies, astragalomancy was used to decide matters of war and harvest.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/07 06:42