alectryomancy
noun
alec·try·o·man·cy
ə-ˈlek-trē-ō-ˌman(t)-sē
variants
or alectoromancy
ə-ˈlek-tə-rō-ˌman(t)-sē
plural -es
: divination by means of a cock encircled by grains of corn placed on the letters of the alphabet which are then put together in the order in which the grains were eaten
alectryomancer
noun
ə-ˈlek-trē-ō-ˌman(t)-sər
plural alectryomancers
The alectryomancers knew how to tap the power of the living chicken. A temple priest would scribe a circle on the ground, mark the letters of the alphabet around it, and place a kernel of corn on each letter.
—Bob Sheasley, Home to Roost, 2008
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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