Word of the Day - augur

augur

/ˈɔːɡə/
verb
[no object]augur well/badly/ill
1 (of an event or circumstance) portend a good or bad outcome.
1.1 with object Portend or bode (a specified outcome)
1.2 archaic - with object Foresee or predict.
noun
(in
ancient Rome) a religious official who observed natural signs,
especially the behaviour of birds, interpreting these as an indication
of divine approval or disapproval of a proposed action.

Usage
The
spellings augur (a verb meaning ‘portend a good or bad outcome’, as in
this augurs well) and auger (a type of tool used for boring) are
sometimes confused, but the two words are quite different in both their
present meaning and their origins

Origin
Late Middle English (as a noun): from Latin, ‘diviner’.

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Augustus averred that the oracle's pronouncement augured well for the planned making of holes with the auger.