augur1

[aw-ger] /ˈɔ gər/
noun
1.
one of a group of ancient Roman officials charged with observing and interpreting omens for guidance in public affairs.
2.
soothsayer; prophet.
verb (used with object)
3.
to divine or predict, as from omens; prognosticate.
4.
to serve as an omen or promise of; foreshadow; betoken:
Mounting sales augur a profitable year.
verb (used without object)
5.
to conjecture from signs or omens; predict.
6.
to be a sign; bode:
The movement of troops augurs ill for the peace of the area.
Origin
1540-50; < Latin augur (variant of auger) a diviner, soothsayer, derivative of augēre to augment with orig. implication of “prosper”; cf. august

augur2

[aw-ger] /ˈɔ gər/
verb (used without object)
1.
to argue, talk, or converse.
noun
2.
an excessively talkative person.
Origin
1920-25; metathetic variant of argue; noun perhaps by association with auger
Examples from the web for augur
  • Increases in temporary workers and the work week typically augur growth in permanent staffing.
  • The big driver is rising buyer sentiment, which could augur more robust retail sales than predicted.
  • Gun battles in the capital do not augur well for the next round of voting.
  • If so, that would augur well for technology and electronics stocks, particularly smaller ones.
  • But such a picture does not augur well for consumption.
  • Such restraint, even if sensible individually, does not augur well for the gross domestic product.
  • That does not augur well for retail prospects.
  • In eyeballing the new books, we noted authors in each of the preceding "categories" whose books would seem to augur success.
  • These strong fundamentals augur well for property owners.
  • It is an augur of time and occasion.
British Dictionary definitions for augur

augur

/ˈɔːɡə/
noun
1.
Also called auspex. (in ancient Rome) a religious official who observed and interpreted omens and signs to help guide the making of public decisions
2.
any prophet or soothsayer
verb
3.
to predict (some future event), as from signs or omens
4.
(transitive; may take a clause as object) to be an omen (of); presage
5.
(intransitive) to foreshadow future events to be as specified; bode: this augurs well for us
Derived Forms
augural (ˈɔːɡjʊrəl) adjective
augurship, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin: a diviner, perhaps from augēre to increase
Word Origin and History for augur
n.

1540s, from Latin augur, a religious official in ancient Rome who foretold events by interpreting omens, perhaps originally meaning "an increase in crops enacted in ritual," in which case it probably is from Old Latin *augos (genitive *augeris) "increase," and is related to augere "increase" (see augment). The more popular theory is that it is from Latin avis "bird," because the flights, singing, and feeding of birds, along with entrails from bird sacrifices, were important objects of divination (cf. auspicious). In that case, the second element would be from garrire "to talk."

v.

c.1600, from augur (n.). Related: Augured; auguring.