Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The practice or art of telling fortunes from the lines, marks, and patterns on the palms of the hands.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The art or practice of telling fortunes by a feigned interpretation of lines and marks on the palm of the hand. Also called chirognomy and chiromancy. See phrases under line.
- n. Manual dexterity.
Wiktionary
- n. Telling fortunes from the lines on the palms of the hand; chiromancy
- n. A dexterous use or trick of the hand.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The art or practice of divining or telling fortunes, or of judging of character, by the lines and marks in the palm of the hand; chiromancy.
- n. A dexterous use or trick of the hand.
WordNet 3.0
- n. telling fortunes by lines on the palm of the hand
Etymologies
- From Middle English palmestrie, from Latin. (Wiktionary)
- Middle English palmestrie, from palme, paume, palm; see palm1. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“We did things that were completely socially unacceptable for 13 year old girls - hiking in the woods, swimming in streams, learning about obscure topics such as palmistry and witchcraft.”
“In the height of his good-humour, meeting a common beggar upon the road who was no conjurer, as he went to relieve him he found his pocket was picked; that being a kind of palmistry at which this race of vermin are very dexterous.”
“They study the river's many tributaries like palmistry, measuring the life of the Nile like the lines of a human hand.”
“These works incorporate Euro-centric concepts of palmistry, phrenology and astrology in addition to Afro-centric concepts of voodoo and shamanism.”
The Huffington Post: Bill Bush: Seeing Red: This Artweek.LA (October 24-30, 2011)
“As a lifelong member of the Stupid People, unschooled in the ways of science, I reject astrology, the runes, palmistry and all other hocus pocus designed to separate me from my money and exploit my ignorance for profit.”
“Cosmetology textbooks share shelf space with tomes on Tibetan grammar, bowling and palmistry.”
“Satanism, palmistry and homosexuality hand in hand”
“You can also get details on private readings, Margaret's classes and blog at www. margaretruth.com and for a limited time, Margaret is taking palmistry appointments (I need to for the next book!).”
Margaret Ruth: Authentic, Satisfying People Connections Need Only Three Things
“Lastly, he had practised palmistry, and foretold to the young Father Cherubin that he was helped by a beautiful lady, who should make him father to a thriving boy.”
“Their pretensions to read fortunes, by palmistry and by astrology, acquired them sometimes respect, but oftener drew them under suspicion as sorcerers; the universal accusation that they augmented their horde by stealing children, subjected them to doubt and execration ....”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘palmistry’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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See Phrases Under
Being a list of words with definitions which have the phrase "see phrases under" in them. I will also accept words with definitions which have the phrase "see phrases below."
see phrases under, cubit, hood, palm, brethren, sulcus, zone, trochlearis, sacrovertebral, turkey, geography, See Phrases Under and 2 more...
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alopecia
i suppose, all of the words & phrases yoni wolf uses in alopecia, that i love.
ladies man, landmine, cavalier, consumer grade video, single's bingo, all-time gringo, calculated birth, manila envelope, mortaring, houdini, punchline, circus mirrors and 160 more...
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stpeter's Words
abase, abasement, abashed, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abhorrent, abide, abject, ablation, abnegation and 3536 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, P
pellucid, pertain, pampas, prate, pinecone, philistine, pantocrator, papaverine, postmeridian, potlatch, pharology, pinniped and 622 more...
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cast a spell
amulet, charm, magic, conjuror, Prospero, candle, cure, flame, hierophant, tarot, cast, cauldron and 20 more...
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Simply Divine
Methods of divination.
necromancy, aeromancy, astrology, bibliomancy, dowsing, extispicy, geomancy, graphology, hagiomancy, hieromancy, numerology, oneiromancy and 20 more...
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gypsy death and you
soothsayer, omen, oracle, lore, fortune, broom, rom, superstition, talisman, palm, palmistry, mysticism and 2 more...
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strange magic
bewitched, occult, clairvoyance, divination, arcane, enigmatic, ouija, black-magic, planchette, esoteric, palmistry, pataphysics and 13 more...
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taking the auspices
Being kinds of and related to divination.
augur, catoptromancy, aleuromancy, aeromancy, austromancy, ceraunoscopy, chaomancy, nephomancy, meteormancy, ailuromancy, alectryomancy, gyromancy and 69 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for palmistry.

uselessness Agreed! Oct 8, 2007
reesetee I likes it too--though not the actual act of palm reading. That just freaks me out. ;-) Oct 8, 2007
uselessness Palm reading. Beautiful word. Oct 8, 2007