different between prognosticate vs portend

English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin prognosticare; see prognostic for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p????n?st?ke?t/

Verb

prognosticate (third-person singular simple present prognosticates, present participle prognosticating, simple past and past participle prognosticated)

1. (transitive) To predict or forecast, especially through the application of skill.

   Examining the tea-leaves, she prognosticated dark days ahead.

   • 1598 – William Shakespeare, Sonnet xiv

     But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
     And constant stars in them I read such art
     As 'Truth and beauty shall together thrive,
     If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert';
     Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
     'Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.'

   • ...to-morrow I intend lengthening the night till afternoon. I prognosticate for myself an obstinate cold, at least.

   • 1915 – Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out ch. 2

     All old people and many sick people were drawn, were it only for a foot or two, into the open air, and prognosticated pleasant things about the course of the world.

2. (transitive) To presage, betoken.

   The bluebells may prognosticate an early spring this year.

Synonyms

• presage, prophesy, foretell

Related terms

• prognosis
• prognostication

Translations

Italian

Verb

prognosticate

1. second-person plural present indicative of prognosticare
2. second-person plural imperative of prognosticare
3. feminine plural of prognosticato

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin portendere (“to foretell”), from por- (“forward”) + tendere (“to stretch”), present active infinitive of tendo.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p???t?nd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /p???t?nd/
• Rhymes: -?nd

Verb

portend (third-person singular simple present portends, present participle portending, simple past and past participle portended)

1. (transitive) To serve as a warning or omen of.
2. (transitive) To signify; to denote.

Synonyms

• foreshadow
• presage

Related terms

• portent
• portentive
• portentous

Translations

See also

• harbinger

Anagrams

• dropnet, protend