Meanings
- uncountableDivination by dice.
Known as astragalomancy or astragyromancy, this method is supposed, righdy or wrongly, to make clear to man the designs of providence, the will of the gods, the decrees of fate.
1970, Richard Cavendish, Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural2 more examples
ASTRAGALOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY: Divination with dice, ranging from crude bones with primitive markings to cubes bearing spots, letters, or cabalistic symbols, all interpreted by the bone caster.
[1973, Walter B. Gibson, Litzka R. Gibson, The Complete Illustrated Book of Divination and Prophecy, London: Souvenir Press, published 1987, →ISBN, page 312This is an extremely simple form of sortilege related to astragalomancy or astragyromancy (from the Greek astragalos, meaning "vertebra, knucklebone"), which began about 5,000 years ago.
1992, Max Maven, Max Maven's book of fortunetelling, page 45Synonyms: astragalomancy
Synonyms & antonyms
nounDivination by dice.
Origin
Possibly a joining of astragalomancy and gyromancy (spinning of the dice).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
astragyromancy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/astragyromancy
“astragyromancy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/astragyromancy. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “astragyromancy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/astragyromancy.
Source: astragyromancy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.