Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

foretoken

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: fore-to-ken
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A prognostic; a premonitory sign; warning or presentiment.

verb

To betoken beforehand; prognosticate; foreshadow; give warning of; presage.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Therefore know you Gentlemen (to whom from my harte I wish that it may not proue ominous foretoke[n] of misfortune to haue mette with such a miser as I am) that whatsoeuer my sonne (ô God, that trueth binds me to reproch him with the name of my sonne) hath said, is true."

Etymology

From Middle English foretokne, fortacne, from Old English foretācn, foretācen (“foretoken, presage, prognostic, prodigy, sign, wonder”), equivalent to fore- + token. Cognate with Dutch voorteken, German Low German Vörteken, German Vorzeichen.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Prefix: fore
Root: foretokne, foretācn, *foretoknen, foretācnian

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

foretokens (plural) foretokens (present, singular) foretokening (participle, present) foretokened (participle, past) foretokened (past)

Derived Forms

foretokening

Synonyms

augury sign preindication

Questions

What does foretoken mean?: A prognostic; a premonitory sign; warning or presentiment.
Where does foretoken come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce foretoken

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