Added 9 October 2026
auspicate
verb
Latin root: auspicatus Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). More about auspicate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- To foreshow; to foretoken.
- To give a favorable turn to in commencing; to inaugurate; -- a sense derived from the Roman practice of taking the auspicium, or inspection of birds, before undertaking any important business.
adjective
Origin
From Latin auspicatus, past participle of auspicari "to take auspices", from auspex "bird seer", "augur", a contraction of avispex; avis "bird" + specere, spicere, "to view".
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)