Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

augur, ŭris (earlier also auger, Prisc. p. 554 P.), comm. (cf. Prob. p. 1455 P., and Phoc. p. 1695 P.) [avis and Sanscr. gar, to call, to show, make known. Van.], an auqur, diviner, soothsayer; at Rome, a member of a particular college of priests, much reverenced in earlier ages, who made known the future by observing the lightning, the flight or notes of birds, the feeding of the sacred fowls, certain appearances of quadrupeds, and any unusual occurrences (v dirae).

  1. I. Lit.: Interpretes Jovis optumi maxumi, publici augures, Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; Fest. s. v. quinque, p. 26 Müll.; Serv. ad Verg. A. 3, 537; and others cited in Müll. Etrusk. 2, p. 116 sq., and Smith, Dict. Antiq. (diff. from auspex, orig. as a general idea from a particular one, since the auspex observed only the flight of birds; cf. Non. p. 429, 26. Yet as this latter kind of augury was the most common, the two words are frequently interchanged or employed in connection; cf. Enn. ap. Cic. Div 1, 48, 107: dant operam simul auspicio augurioque).
  2. II. Transf., any soothsayer, diviner, seer, in gen.: augur Apollo, as god of prophecy (v. Apollo), Hor. C. 1, 2, 32; so, augur Phoebus, id. C. S. 61: Argivus, i.e. Amphiaraus, id. C. 3, 16, 11; id. Ep. 1, 20, 9; Prop. 3, 14, 3: veri providus augur Thestorides, i. e. Calchas, Ov. M. 12, 18; 12, 307; 15, 596; 3, 349; 3, 512 al.: nocturnae imaginis augur, interpreter of night-visions, id. Am. 3, 5, 31: pessimus in dubiis augur timor, fear, the basest prophet, Stat. Th. 3, 6.
    Fem.: aquae nisi fallit augur Annosa cornix, Hor. C. 3, 17, 12: simque augur cassa futuri! Stat. Th. 9, 629; Vulg. Deut. 18, 14; ib. Isa. 2, 6; ib. Jer. 27, 9: augures caeli, ib. Isa. 47, 13.

augŭrĭum, ii, n. (plur. augura, heterocl., like aplustra from aplustre, Att. ap. Non. p. 488, 2, or Trag. Rel. p. 217 Rib.) [augur], the observation and interpretation of omens, augury (v. augur and the pass. there cited).

  1. I. Lit.: pro certo arbitrabor sortes oracla adytus augura? Att., Trag. Rel. p. 217 Rib.: agere, Varr. L. L. 6, § 42 Müll.; Cic. Div. 1, 17, 32; id. Off. 3, 16, 66: capere, Suet. Aug. 95: quaerere, Vulg. Num. 24, 1: observare, ib. Deut. 18, 10; ib. 4 Reg. 21, 6: non est augurium in Jacob, ib. Num. 23, 23: dare, Ov. Tr. 3, 1, 36: nuntiare, Liv. 1, 7: decantare, Cic. Div. 1, 47, 105: accipere, to understand or receive as an omen, Liv. 1, 34; 10, 40; Val. Fl. 1, 161: augurium factum, Suet. Vit. 18: augurio experiri aliquid, Flor. 1, 5, 3: augurium salutis, an augury instituted in time of peace, for the inquiry whether one could supplicate the Deity for the prosperity of the state (de salute), Cic. Div. 1, 47, 105; Suet. Aug. 31; Tac. A. 12, 23; cf. Dio Cass. 37, 24, and Fabric. ad h. l.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Any kind of divination, prophecy, soothsaying, interpretation: auguria rerum futurarum, Cic. Phil. 2, 35, 89: conjugis augurio (by the interpretation of quamquam Titania mota est, Ov. M. 1, 395: Divinatio arroris et auguria mendacia vanitas est, Vulg Eccli. 34, 5.
      And transf. to the internal sense. presentiment, foreboding of future occurrences inhaeret in mentibus quasi saeclorum quoddam augurium futurorum, Cic. Tusc. 1, 15, 33; id. Fam 6, 6: Fallitur augurio spes bona saepe suo, Ov. H. 16, 234: Auguror, nec me fallit augurium, historias tuas immortales futuras, Plin. Ep. 7, 33, 1 al.
    2. B. Object, a sign, omen, token, prognostic: thymum augurium mellis est, Plin. 21, 10, 31, § 56: augurium valetudinis ex traditur, si etc., id. 28, 6, 19, § 68.
    3. C. The art of the augur, augury: cui laetus Apollo Augurium citharamque dabat, Verg. A. 12, 394 (v. Apollo and augur): Rex idero et regi Turno gratissimus augur, id. ib. 9, 327; Flor. 1, 5, 2.