Word of the Day

: September 22, 2007

prognosticate

verb prahg-NAHSS-tuh-kayt

What It Means

1 : to foretell from signs and symptoms : predict

2 : presage

prognosticate in Context

The two sportscasters bantered back and forth, each dismissing the other's attempts to prognosticate the outcome of the championship.

Did You Know?

"Prognosticate," which comes from the Greek "prognōstikos" ("foretelling"), first appeared in English during the 15th century. Since that time, "prognosticate" has been connected with things that give omens or warnings of events to come and with people who can prophesy or predict the future by such signs. Shakespeare used the "prophesy" sense of "prognosticate" in the sonnet that begins "Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck":

"From thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And constant stars in them I read such art
...of thee this I prognosticate,
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.