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

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

She consulted readers and priestesses in New Orleans and, after a bad breakup, received palmistry from a reader in Brooklyn.

From The New Yorker

After explaining that she had picked up the precepts of medieval palmistry decades ago, from an art-historian neighbor whose specialty was Hieronymus Bosch, Atwood spent several disconcerting minutes poring over my hands.

From The New Yorker

Related Words

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