Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The practice or art of telling fortunes from the lines, marks, and patterns on the palms of the hands.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun 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.
  • noun Manual dexterity.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun 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.
  • noun A dexterous use or trick of the hand.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Telling fortunes from the lines on the palms of the hand; chiromancy
  • noun A dexterous use or trick of the hand.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun telling fortunes by lines on the palm of the hand

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English palmestrie, from palme, paume, palm; see palm.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English palmestrie, from Latin.

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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.

    - ceecue 2009

  • 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.

    The Coverley Papers Various

  • 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.

    The De Coverley Papers From 'The Spectator' Joseph Addison 1695

  • These works incorporate Euro-centric concepts of palmistry, phrenology and astrology in addition to Afro-centric concepts of voodoo and shamanism.

    Bill Bush: Seeing Red: This Artweek.LA (October 24-30, 2011) Bill Bush 2011

  • They study the river's many tributaries like palmistry, measuring the life of the Nile like the lines of a human hand.

    Thirsty Egypt Clings Tight To The Nile 2010

  • They study the river's many tributaries like palmistry, measuring the life of the Nile like the lines of a human hand.

    Thirsty Egypt Clings Tight To The Nile 2010

  • They study the river's many tributaries like palmistry, measuring the life of the Nile like the lines of a human hand.

    Thirsty Egypt Clings Tight To The Nile 2010

  • These works incorporate Euro-centric concepts of palmistry, phrenology and astrology in addition to Afro-centric concepts of voodoo and shamanism.

    Bill Bush: Seeing Red: This Artweek.LA (October 24-30, 2011) Bill Bush 2011

  • They study the river's many tributaries like palmistry, measuring the life of the Nile like the lines of a human hand.

    Thirsty Egypt Clings Tight To The Nile 2010

  • They study the river's many tributaries like palmistry, measuring the life of the Nile like the lines of a human hand.

    Thirsty Egypt Clings Tight To The Nile 2010

Comments

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  • Palm reading. Beautiful word.

    October 8, 2007

  • I likes it too--though not the actual act of palm reading. That just freaks me out. ;-)

    October 9, 2007

  • Agreed!

    October 9, 2007