Definition of: augur

(ô′gər) noun
1. A religious official of ancient Rome whose duty it was to foretell future events by interpreting omens, such as the flights of birds, and to give advice on public affairs accordingly.
2. Hence, a prophet; soothsayer. Also Obs. au′gur·er.
—v.t.
1. To predict; divine; prognosticate from or as from signs and omens; also, to conjecture from indications.
2. To betoken; portend; to be an omen of.
—v.i.
3. To conjecture from signs and omens.
4. To be an augury or omen. ◆ Homophone: auger. [<L augur <avis bird + -gar (? akin to garrire talk, interpret)] Synonyms (verb): betoken, bode, forbode, forecast, foretell, foretoken, portend, predict, pre- sage, prognosticate, prophesy. Persons only divine, forecast, foretell, predict, or prophesy; things only betoken, foretoken, or portend; either persons or things augur, bode, forebode, presage, or prognosticate. As regards the outcome, bode, forebode, and portend always refer to evil or misfortune; the other words are neutral, applying equally to good or ill. One may augur or divine from indications too slight to be explained; to forecast always denotes calculation. See PROPHESY. Antonyms: assure, demonstrate, determine, establish, insure, prove, warrant.