cleromancy

English

Etymology

Ancient Greek κλῆρος (klêros), "a lot".

Noun

cleromancy (uncountable)

1. Divination by casting lots (sortilege).
2. Divination by throwing dice or any such marked objects, like beans, pebbles, or bone.

Quotations

• 1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix.

  Cleromancy, by lotts...

• 1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. of Magic ii.

  cleromancy - Is a kind of divination performed by the throwing of dice or little bones; and observing the points or marks turned up. At Bura, a city of Achaia, a celebrated Temple of Hercules, where such as consulted the oracle, after praying to the idol, threw four dice, the points of which being well scanned by the priest, he was supposed to draw an answer from them.

• 1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge

  CLEROMANCY: A form of lot casting, akin to divination with dice, but simply using pebbles or other odd objects, often of different colors instead of marked cubes.