Word of the Day - 02/07/26
presage
/ˈprɛsɪdʒ/(n.): a sign of something about to happen
The sky teemed with circling vultures, their shadowed wings presaging the carnage that would erupt when armies met in fury.
(v.): indicate, as with a sign or an omen
The blackened sky presaged disaster, whispering of the chaos that would engulf the city by dawn.
Word Origin
The word 'presage' originates from the Latin 'praesagium', meaning 'a presentiment' or 'a foreboding'. This noun comes from the verb 'praesagire', which means 'to perceive beforehand' or 'to have a presentiment of'. 'Praesagire' is formed from the prefix 'prae-' (meaning 'before') and 'sagire' (meaning 'to perceive keenly' or 'to scent out').
Words with similar origins include 'sagacious' and 'sagacity'. Both are derived from the Latin 'sagax', meaning 'acute' or 'keen-scented', which shares the same root ('sag-') as 'sagire' from 'presage', denoting keen perception.