alphitomancy

[ al-fit-uh-man-see ]

noun

1. the use of barley meal as a means of divination.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alphitomancy¹

1645–55; < Greek álphito ( n ) barley + -mancy, probably influenced by Greek alphitómantis one who divines from barley meal

Example Sentences

The expression which I should have employed was alphitomancy, a divination "by meal, flower, or branne."

From Project Gutenberg

By alphitomancy, cried up by Theocritus in his Pharmaceutria.

From Project Gutenberg