English

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Etymology

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From Ancient Greek ἀπαντάω (apantáō, to encounter) and μαντεία (manteía, prophecy).

Noun

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apantomancy (uncountable)

  1. Divination by chance meetings with any objects that present themselves, most commonly animals; for example, the superstition associated with a black cat crossing one's path.
    • 1920, Lewis Spence, An Encyclopædia of Occultism[1]:
      Apantomancy: Divination by means of any objects which happen to present themselves. To this class belong the omens drawn from chance meetings with a hare, an eagle, etc.
    • 1961, H.E. Wedeck, Treasury of Witchcraft:
      Even objects that lie about haphazardly were fit for mantic purposes. The prcatice was called apantomancy.