hydromancy

H4Y4D2R1O1M3A1N1C3Y4

noun

Divination by water or other liquid.

Scrabble 24

Meanings

nounhydromancy (usually uncountable, plural hydromancies)

plural hydromancies · alternative ydromancy · alternative hydromancie · alternative hydromantie · alternative hydromanty

  1. uncountableusuallyDivination by water or other liquid.

    Hydromancy was extensively practised by the Egyptian priests and sorcerers[.]

    1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 39
    2 more examples

    Hydromancy is the supposed art of divining by water. The Persians, according to Varro, invented it; Pythagoras and Numa Pompilius made use of it; and we still admire the like wonderful prognosticators.

    1797, Encyclopædia Britannica, 3rd edition

    Hydromancy, like many other methods of divination, seems to have originated in Babylonia and reached the Greco-Roman world via Egypt, in the first century b.c. or earlier.

    1985, Georg Luck, Arcana Mundi, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὑδρομαντεία
  2. Latinhydromantia
  3. Frenchhydromancie
  4. Englishhydromancy

From French hydromancie or Late Latin hydromantia, from Ancient Greek ὑδρομαντεία (hudromanteía); corresponding to hydro- + -mancy.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish hydromantia
  • hydromantiadivination by water or other liquid
French hydromancie
  • hydromanciedivination by water or other liquid
Italian idromanzia
  • idromanziadivination by water or other liquid
Latin hydromantīa
  • hydromantīadivination by water or other liquid
Cite this entry
APA

hydromancy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydromancy

MLA

“hydromancy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydromancy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydromancy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydromancy.

Source: hydromancy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.