Oracle

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Oracle \Or"a*cle\, n. [F., fr. L. oraculum, fr. orare to speak,
     utter, pray, fr. os, oris, mouth. See {Oral}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. The answer of a god, or some person reputed to be a god,
        to an inquiry respecting some affair or future event, as
        the success of an enterprise or battle.


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              Whatso'er she saith, for oracles must stand.
                                                    --Drayton.
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     2. Hence: The deity who was supposed to give the answer;
        also, the place where it was given.
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              The oracles are dumb;
              No voice or hideous hum
              Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
                                                    --Milton.
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     3. The communications, revelations, or messages delivered by
        God to the prophets; also, the entire sacred Scriptures --
        usually in the plural.
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              The first principles of the oracles of God. --Heb.
                                                    v. 12.
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     4. (Jewish Antiq.) The sanctuary, or Most Holy place in the
        temple; also, the temple itself. --1 Kings vi. 19.
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              Siloa's brook, that flow'd
              Fast by the oracle of God.            --Milton.
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     5. One who communicates an oracle[1] or divine command; an
        angel; a prophet.
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              God hath now sent his living oracle
              Into the world to teach his final will. --Milton.
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     6. Any person reputed uncommonly wise; one whose decisions
        are regarded as of great authority; as, a literary oracle.
        "Oracles of mode." --Tennyson.
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              The country rectors . . . thought him an oracle on
              points of learning.                   --Macaulay.
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     7. A wise pronouncement or decision considered as of great
        authority.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Oracle \Or"a*cle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Oracled}; p. pr. & vb.
     n. {Oracling}.]
     To utter oracles. [Obs.]
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  oracle
       n 1: an authoritative person who divines the future [syn: {prophet},
             {seer}, {vaticinator}]
       2: a prophecy (usually obscure or allegorical) revealed by a
          priest or priestess; believed to be infallible
       3: a shrine where an oracular god is consulted

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  98 Moby Thesaurus words for "oracle":
     Cassandra, Delphian oracle, Delphic oracle, Delphic tripod, Dodona,
     Pythian oracle, Python, adage, advice, ana, analects, answer,
     aphorism, apocalypse, apothegm, augur, augury, authority, axiom,
     byword, catchword, collected sayings, current saying, dictate,
     dictum, distich, divination, diviner, doctor, elder,
     elder statesman, epigram, expression, fortune-teller, gnome,
     golden saying, great soul, guru, illuminate, intellect,
     intellectual, lover of wisdom, mahatma, man of intellect,
     man of wisdom, mandarin, master, mastermind, maxim, mentor,
     message, moral, mot, motto, philosopher, phrase, pithy saying,
     precept, prediction, prescript, prognostication, prognosticator,
     prophecy, prophet, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, rabbi,
     rishi, sage, sapient, savant, saw, saying, scholar, seer, sentence,
     sententious expression, sibyl, sloka, soothsayer, starets,
     stock saying, sutra, teaching, text, thinker, verse, vision,
     wisdom, wisdom literature, wise man, wise old man, wise saying,
     witticism, wizard, word, words of wisdom
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Oracle
     In the Old Testament used in every case, except 2 Sam. 16:23, to
     denote the most holy place in the temple (1 Kings 6:5, 19-23;
     8:6). In 2 Sam. 16:23 it means the Word of God. A man inquired
     "at the oracle of God" by means of the Urim and Thummim in the
     breastplate on the high priest's ephod. In the New Testament it
     is used only in the plural, and always denotes the Word of God
     (Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12, etc.). The Scriptures are called "living
     oracles" (comp. Heb. 4:12) because of their quickening power
     (Acts 7:38).
     

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Oracle, AZ (CDP, FIPS 51180)
    Location: 32.61877 N, 110.78419 W
    Population (1990): 3043 (1185 housing units)
    Area: 24.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 85623

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Oracle, AZ -- U.S. Census Designated Place in Arizona
     Population (2000):    3563
     Housing Units (2000): 1534
     Land area (2000):     11.382188 sq. miles (29.479730 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    11.382188 sq. miles (29.479730 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            51180
     Located within:       Arizona (AZ), FIPS 04
     Location:             32.616030 N, 110.781854 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     85623
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Oracle, AZ
      Oracle