palmistry

[ pah-muh-stree ]

noun

1. the art or practice of telling fortunes and interpreting character from the lines and configurations of the palm of a person's hand.

palmistry

/ ˈpɑːmɪstrɪ /

noun

1. the process or art of interpreting character, telling fortunes, etc, by the configuration of lines, marks, and bumps on a person's hand Also calledchiromancy

Derived Forms

• ˈpalmist, noun

Other Words From

• palmist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of palmistry¹

1375–1425; late Middle English pawmestry, equivalent to pawm palm ¹ + -estry (origin obscure; -y ³ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of palmistry¹

C15 pawmestry, from paume palm ¹; the second element is unexplained

Example Sentences

At the closing banquet someone mentioned to Mikhail Tal that Bobby, who’d been studying palmistry, was reading the palms of other players, almost as a parlor game.

From Literature

Evoking tarot, palmistry, and astrology, Saar privileges an overtly feminine way of processing uncertainty and disillusionment.

From The New Yorker

For the spooky season this year, Etsy’s most popular trends — meaning the ones being searched most often on the site — include tarot cards, mysticism, true-crime themes and palmistry.

From Los Angeles Times

To say, as Fukuyama does, that “the desire for status—megalothymia—is rooted in human biology” is the academic equivalent of palmistry.

From The New Yorker

The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.

From Literature

Related Words

• forecast
• forecasting
• guess
• indicator
• prognosis
• prophecy