presage Hear it!

presage definition

pres·age (presij; for v. prē sāj, pri sāj, presij)

noun

  1. a sign or warning of a future event; omen; portent; augury
  2. a foreboding; presentiment
  3. Rare a prediction
  4. foreshadowing quality of ominous presage

Etymology: ME < MFr < L praesagium, a foreboding < prae-, before + sagire, to perceive: see pre- & sagacious

transitive verb presaged -·aged′, presaging -·ag′·ing

  1. to give a presage, or warning, of; portend
  2. to have a foreboding or presentiment of
  3. to predict

Etymology: Fr présager < the vt.

intransitive verb

  1. Rare to have a presentiment
  2. to make a prediction

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.