oracle bones

plural noun

a group of inscribed animal bones and shells discovered in China and used originally in divination by the ancient Chinese, especially during the Shang dynasty.

Origin of oracle bones

¹

First recorded in 1910–15

See also scapulimancy.

Words Nearby oracle bones

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oracle bones in a sentence

In Anyang tens of thousands of these oracle bones with inscriptions have been found.
A history of China., [3d ed. rev. and enl.] | Wolfram Eberhard

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