oracle
part of speech
noun (an oracle, oracles)
meaning for a pupil
1) In ancient Greece and Rome, a priest or priestess through whom people believed the gods gave advice or told the future, or the holy place where this happened, like the Oracle of Delphi. tree →
2) A message or answer given by such an oracle. tree →
3) (informal) A person who knows a lot and is asked for advice. tree →
sense in the lessons
In history and myths lessons, Greeks travelled to the Oracle at Delphi to ask questions, and its answers were often riddles. In everyday talk, the oracle is the person who knows everything about something. Phrases: the Oracle of Delphi, consult the oracle.
examples
- The Greeks visited the Oracle at Delphi for advice. tree →
- The oracle's answer was a puzzling riddle. tree →
- The king asked the oracle if he would win the war. tree →
- My sister is the family oracle on dinosaurs. tree →
- The oracle was believed to speak the words of the god Apollo. tree →
- Ask Grandpa, he's the oracle on football facts. tree →
- Hence the Greeks had returned home in order to seek fresh instructions from an oracle. tree →
note
Countable. Adjective: oracular. Ancient people believed oracles spoke for gods; historians today see them as part of their religion and politics. Oracle (a name) is also a computer company.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «oracle» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.