Word of the Day

: June 19, 2010

auspicious

adjective aw-SPISH-us

What It Means

1 : promising success : favorable

2 : fortunate, prosperous

auspicious in Context

The young pitcher made an auspicious debut with eight strikeouts in his first major-league game.

Did You Know?

"Auspicious" comes from Latin "auspex," which literally means "bird seer" (from the words "avis," meaning "bird," and "specere," meaning "to look"). In ancient Rome, these "bird seers" were priests, or augurs, who studied the flight and feeding patterns of birds, then delivered prophecies based on their observations. The right combination of bird behavior indicated favorable conditions, but the wrong patterns spelled trouble. The English noun "auspice," which originally referred to this practice of observing birds to discover omens, also comes from Latin "auspex." Today, the plural form "auspices" is often used with the meaning "kindly patronage and guidance."