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oracle

Syllabification: (or·a·cle)
Pronunciation: /ˈôrəkəl/

Translate oracle | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of oracle

noun

  • 1a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity.
  • a place at which divine advice or prophecy was sought.
  • a person or thing regarded as an infallible authority or guide on something:casting the attorney general as the oracle for and guardian of the public interest is simply impossible
  • 2a response or message given by an oracle, typically one that is ambiguous or obscure.

Origin:

late Middle English: via Old French from Latin oraculum, from orare 'speak'

oracle in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of oracle in the British & World English dictionary