Haruspex

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /həˈrʌspɛks/

Definitions

1. An ancient Roman or Etruscan priest who interpreted divine will by examining the entrails of sacrificed animals, particularly the liver
2. a practitioner of divination in ancient Rome and Etruria who foretold the future by inspecting animal organs, especially livers, after ritual sacrifice
3. an ancient religious specialist who read omens and predicted outcomes through systematic examination of sacrificial animal remains, chiefly hepatic tissue

Etymology: Haruspex was a formal diviner in ancient Rome, and the Romans took the practice from the Etruscans, whose priests read the future in the livers and other entrails of sacrificed animals. The Latin word is usually analysed as a compound of "hira" (intestine, entrails) and "specere" (to look at), so a haruspex was literally one who looks at entrails. Roman haruspices were consulted by the state, especially to interpret omens and lightning, and they remained an official priesthood for centuries. English borrowed the word directly from Latin, and it has stayed a term for this specialised role, so it is used mainly in historical and scholarly writing rather than in everyday speech. Its plainness is what makes it striking: the whole job description is built into its two halves.