necromancy
/ˈnɛkɹəˌmænsi/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.21 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Loosely, any sorcery or witchcraft, especially involving death or the dead, particularly sorcery involving raising or reanimating the dead.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "And for to make this treatise the more pleasaunt and facill, I have put it in forme of a Dialogue, which I have diuided into three bookes: The first speaking of Magie in general, and Necromancie in special."
- "And in one word for all, Nagomancy, or Necromancy; by inspecting, consulting, and divining by, with, or from the dead."
- "1867 E. Rogers, quoted in K. Thomas Relig. & Decline of Magic the Devil did often tempt me to study necromancy and nigromancy and to make use of magic, and to make a league with him..."
- "There is no doubt..that necromancy is the touch-stone of occultism..."
Etymology
Circa 1300, from Middle English nigromancye, from Old French nigromancie, from Medieval Latin nigromantia, from Latin necromantia, from Ancient Greek νεκρομαντεία (nekromanteía), νεκρός (nekrós, “dead”) + μαντεία (manteía, “divination”). Medieval Latin spelling, incorporating niger (“black”), influenced by the notion of black art. Modern spelling adopted in mid-1500s. By surface analysis, necro- + -mancy.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: nigromancye, nigromancie, nigromantia, necromantia, νεκρομαντεία