oracle - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔɹəkəl/, /ˈɒɹəkəl/
• Homophone: auricle

oracle (plural oracles)

1. A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
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: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for M[athew] Lownes; I[ohn] Browne; I[ohn] Helme; I[ohn] Busbie, →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

   • 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.
9. (Jewish antiquity) The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →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.

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

1. (obsolete) To utter oracles or prophecies.^[1]
   • 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.

• Calero, Carole, Cleora, coaler, recoal

Borrowed from Latin ōrāculum n.

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

oracle m (plural oracles)

1. oracle

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

From Middle French oracle m, from Old French oracle m, from Latin ōrāculum n (12th c.).

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.ʁakl/

oracle m (plural oracles)

1. oracle

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

• Carole, racole, racolé

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

• IPA^(key): /ɔːˈraːkəl/

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.

• English: oracle
• Scots: oracle

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

(Cir. 12th c.) Derived from Latin oraculum n.

oracle oblique singular, m (oblique plural oracles, nominative singular oracles, nominative plural oracle)

1. An oracle.^[1]

   Synonym: oratoire

• Middle French: oracle m
  • French: oracle m
  • → Middle English: oracle
    • English: oracle
    • Scots: oracle