oracle

See also: Oracle

English

Etymology

From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle, from Latin ōrāculum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔɹəkəl/, /ˈɒɹəkəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: auricle

Noun

oracle (plural oracles)

1. A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
   • 1629, John Milton, “On the Morning of Christs Nativity”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC:

     The oracles are dumb; / No voice or hideous hum / Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.

2. A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.

   Synonym: prophet

3. A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
   • 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 94:

     The several oracles included in this haftarah presumably were uttered at different times to the people in exile, presenting diverse themes and using distinct styles.

4. (figuratively, archaic) Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:

     Fight all couragiouſly and be you kings,
     I ſpeake it, and my words are oracles.

   • 1612, Michael Drayton, “The Second Song”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Mathew Lownes; I. Browne; I. Helme; I. Busbie, published 1613, →OCLC, page 29:

     Shee ſtiles her ſelfe their Chiefe, and ſweares ſhee will command; / And, what-ſo-ere ſhee ſaith, for Oracles muſt ſtand.

5. A person considered to be a source of wisdom.

   Synonym: expert

   a literary oracle

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

     oracles of mode

   • 1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:

     The country rectors […] thought him an oracle on points of learning.

6. A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
7. A fortune-teller.
   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 46:

     "Madame de l'Hôpital has been quite la fée bienfaisante" said Lauzun, who, like others, had been consulting the oracle. "I am bewildered by my future good fortune. I quite anticipate being married, if it is to bring me all that she predicts."

8. One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
   • 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 1:

     God hath now sent his living oracle / Into the world to teach his final will.

9. (Jewish antiquity) The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 6:19:

     And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Siloa's brook, that flow'd / Fast by the oracle of God.

10. (computing theory) A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
    • 1994, Roger Penrose, “Quantum theory and the brain”, in Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 380:

      Thus, an oracle machine (which enacts an oracle algorithm) would be like an ordinary Turing machine, except that adjoined to its ordinary computational operations would be another operation: ‘Call in the oracle and ask it whether C_q(n) stops; […]

11. (cryptocurrencies) A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.
    • 2020, Daniel T. Stabile, Kimberly A. Prior, Andrew M. Hinkes, “Smart Contracts”, in Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, Edward Elgar Publishing, →ISBN, page 223:

      For example, an oracle may send temperature data reported by the National Weather Service or report the daily LIBOR rate to a smart contract.

Derived terms

• alphabet oracle
• dice oracle
• oracle bone
• oracle bone script
• oracle card
• oracle machine
• work the oracle

 

Translations

shrine to prophetic deity

• Catalan: oracle m
• Czech: věštírna f, orákulum n
• Finnish: oraakkeli (fi)
• French: oracle (fr) m
• Galician: oráculo m
• German: Orakel (de) n
• Greek: μαντείο (el) (manteío)

  Ancient: μαντεῖον n (manteîon)

• Hungarian: jósda (hu)
• Icelandic: véfrétt f
• Irish: oracal m
• Italian: oracolo (it) m
• Latin: fatus m
• Maori: ahurewa
• Portuguese: oráculo (pt) m
• Russian: ора́кул (ru) m (orákul)
• Slovene: orakelj (sl)
• Turkish: mabet (tr), tapınak (tr)

priest through whom deity provides prophecy or advice

• Bulgarian: оракул (bg) m (orakul)
• French: oracle (fr) m
• German: Orakel (de) n
• Greek: μάντης (el) (mántis)

  Ancient: χρησμῳδός m (khrēsmōidós)

• Hungarian: jós (hu)
• Icelandic: spáprestur m, goðsvari m
• Irish: oracal m
• Italian: oracolo (it) m
• Japanese: 神託 (ja) (shintaku), 託宣 (ja) (takusen), オラクル (orakuru)
• Latin: fatus m
• Maori: tohunga ahurewa, matatuhi
• Polish: wyrocznia (pl) f
• Portuguese: oráculo (pt) m
• Russian: ора́кул (ru) m (orákul)
• Spanish: oráculo (es) m
• Swedish: orakel (sv) n
• Turkish: orakl, orakul, ırkıl, arkıl, kâhin (tr)

prophetic response

• Bulgarian: пророчество (bg) n (proročestvo)
• Esperanto: oraklo (eo)
• French: oracle (fr) m
• German: Orakel (de) n, Orakelspruch m
• Greek: χρησμός (el) (chrismós)

  Ancient: χρησμός m (khrēsmós)

• Hungarian: jóslat (hu)
• Icelandic: véfrétt f, goðsvar n
• Irish: oracal m
• Italian: oracolo (it) m, divinazione (it) f
• Latin: fatus m
• Portuguese: oráculo (pt) m
• Russian: прорица́ние (ru) n (proricánije)
• Turkish: ırık, ırım

person who is a source of wisdom

• French: oracle (fr) m
• German: Orakel (de) n
• Icelandic: spakvitringur m
• Irish: saoi m, saineolaí m
• Japanese: 賢人 (ja) (けんじん, kenjin)
• Latin: fatus m
• Maori: matatuhi
• Portuguese: oráculo (pt) m
• Russian: ора́кул (ru) m (orákul), прорица́тель (ru) m (proricátelʹ)
• Swedish: orakel (sv) n
• Turkish: arkıl, ırkıl

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Ido: ^{(please verify)} oraklo (io)
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} aitheascal m
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} oracolo (it) m
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} oráculo (es)

Verb

oracle (third-person singular simple present oracles, present participle oracling, simple past and past participle oracled)

1. (obsolete) To utter oracles or prophecies.
   • 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC:

     But this thy glory shall be soon retrench'd;
     No more shalt thou by oracling abuse
     The Gentiles; henceforth Oracles are ceast

   • 2006 October 18, David M. Halbfinger, “Hollywood Film Chain’s Latest Link”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Primarily seen as a publicity vehicle for late-year releases, the awards show and its promoters have lately made pretensions to Oscar oracling: Jamie Foxx won the “breakthrough actor of the year” prize for “Ray” in 2004, after all, and Paul Haggis and his ensemble cast were honored for “Crash” four months before it won best picture.

Translations

utter oracles or prophecies

• German: orakeln (de)
• Italian: profetizzare (it), presagire (it), premonire (it)

Anagrams

• Calero, Carole, Cleora, coaler, recoal

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ōrāculum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [uˈɾa.klə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [oˈɾa.klə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [oˈɾa.kle]

Noun

oracle m (plural oracles)

1. oracle

Further reading

• “oracle” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ōrāculum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.ʁakl/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

oracle m (plural oracles)

1. oracle

Further reading

• “oracle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• Carole, racole, racolé

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French oracle, from Old French oracle, from Latin ōrāculum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔːˈraːkəl/

Noun

oracle (plural oracles)

1. (Late Middle English) A shrine where hidden religious knowledge is imparted.
2. (Late Middle English, rare) A heavenly or godly message.

Descendants

• English: oracle
• Scots: oracle

References

• “ōrācle, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-2.