tarot
|ta-rot|
🇺🇸
/ˈtæroʊ/
🇬🇧
/ˈtærəʊ/
cards used for divination
Etymology
'tarot' originates from French, specifically the word 'tarot', which in turn comes from Italian 'tarocchi' (plural) or 'tarocco' (singular), where 'tarocco' was used from c.1500 with senses including 'deception' or 'adulterated/false'.
'tarocchi' (Italian, 15th century) designated the card pack; the term was adopted into French as 'tarot' and later into English (18th century) to refer to the same cards and to the practice of using them for divination.
Initially the word referred mainly to a particular set of playing cards used for games; over time its primary association in English shifted to the use of those cards for occult divination and fortune-telling.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a pack or deck of cards used historically for playing certain card games and, more commonly in modern English, for divination or occult practices.
A tarot deck usually contains 78 cards divided into Major and Minor Arcana.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the practice or act of interpreting tarot cards to seek insight or predict events; a tarot reading.
She went to a psychic for a tarot about her relationship.
Synonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2026/01/06 00:03