I. ˈpresij, -sēj noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin praesagium, from praesagire to have a presentiment of, from prae- pre- + sagire to perceive keenly — more at seek
1. : something that foreshadows or portends a future event : a warning or indication of something about to happen : omen , prognostic
the coming of the swallow is a true presage of the spring — John Worlidge
sees a lunar rainbow … as a presage of good fortune — Van Wyck Brooks
2. : an intuition or feeling of what is going to happen in the future : foreboding , presentiment
feel in his nerves the presage of a storm — Charlton Ogburn
artists whom the presage of an early death stimulates — Roger Fry
3. archaic : an utterance foretelling something future : prediction , prognostication
expected as ill a presage … from those fortune tellers — Edward Hyde
4. : foreknowledge of the future : prescience
if there be aught of presage in the mind — John Milton
5. : augury 3
hand … raised in presage of volunteered information — New Yorker
a firm steel bridge as presage of what is ahead — William Sansom
birds of evil presage — Edmund Burke
II. “, prēˈsāj, prə̇ˈ- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle French presager, from presage omen, from Latin praesagium
transitive verb
1.
a. : to give an omen or warning of : signify beforehand by supernatural means : foreshadow , portend
evil luck was presaged … by a dog crossing the hunter's path — American Guide Series: Ind.
sensation of creeping uneasiness which presaged some kind of trouble — Marcia Davenport
fiery meteors may presage death and destruction — Christopher Marlowe
b. : to point to or indicate in advance : give prior indication of by natural means : provide a symptom of : preindicate
dropsy … almost invariably presages cardiac failure — F.A.Faught
Democratic gains aren't significant enough to presage drastic legislative changes — Wall Street Journal
2. : to indicate or calculate in advance : forecast , foretell , predict
lands he could measure, terms and tides presage — Oliver Goldsmith
3. : to have a presentiment or prevision of : feel beforehand : forebode 2
from the preliminaries … he was only able to presage danger and disaster — A.W.Tourgee
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : to have a presentiment or foreknowledge
2. : to make or utter a prediction
prophecy would fain presage auspiciously — J.B.Mozley
— sometimes used with of
by certain signs we may presage of heats and rains — John Dryden
Synonyms: see foretell