Meanings
- uncountableDivination through interpreting chance remarks or events.
The consultant whispered his questions into the god's ear, then stopped his own ears, went out, and, when he got beyond the market-place, listened for chance words from passers-by. These were construed into an answer. This form of divination (cledonomancy) remained popular at all periods.
1911, Encyc. of Religion & Ethics1 more example
Pausanias (2nd century AD) gives an example of cledonomancy. A man was not sure whether to marry a young woman of his own clan or a rich woman of more exalted rank. While thinking over the problem, he heard a child at play with his fellows shout, 'Take care of yourself' which he at once understood to mean that he should marry the rich one!
1970, B. I. Rakoczi, Man, Myth & Magic v.Synonyms: cledomancy, cledonism
Synonyms & antonyms
nounDivination through interpreting chance remarks or events.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκληδών“an omen”
- Englishcledonomancy
From Ancient Greek κληδών (klēdṓn, “an omen”) + -mancy.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
cledonomancy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cledonomancy
“cledonomancy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cledonomancy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cledonomancy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cledonomancy.
Source: cledonomancy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.