omen Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a sign of something about to happen
    prognostic; prodigy; prognostication; presage; portent.
    • he looked for an omen before going into battle
  2. noun a strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula; the economy is dominated by oil
    Sultanate of Oman; Oman; Muscat and Oman.
  3. verb indicate by signs
    prefigure; auspicate; bode; betoken; portend; foreshadow; predict; foretell; augur; prognosticate; forecast; presage.
    • These signs bode bad news

WordNet


O"men noun
Etymology
L. omen, the original form being osmen, according to Varro.
Definitions
  1. An occurrence supposed to portend, or show the character of, some future event; any indication or action regarded as a foreshowing; a foreboding; a presage; an augury.
    Bid go with evil omen, and the brand Of infamy upon my name. Milton.
O"men transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Omened ; present participle & verbal noun Omening
Definitions
  1. To divine or to foreshow by signs or portents; to have omens or premonitions regarding; to predict; to augur; as, to omen ill of an enterprise.
    The yet unknown verdict, of which, however, all omened the tragical contents. Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1913