horoscope
UK[ˈhɒr.ə.skəʊp]US[ˈhɔːr.ə.skoʊp]
n
A forecast of a person's future based on the relative positions of the stars and planets at the time of their birth, often published in a newspaper or magazine.
n
A diagram (such as a circular chart) representing the relative positions of the planets and signs of the zodiac at a specific time (as at one's birth).
Morpheme Breakdown
horo
scope
horo
time
scope
instrument for viewing
Etymology
The word 'horoscope' has a beautifully literal origin. It entered English via Latin from the Greek hōroskopos, which was a compound of hōra ("hour, time") and skopos ("observer"). Thus, an hōroskopos was literally "an observer of the hour." In ancient astrology, this referred to the ascendant degree of the zodiac—the specific constellation rising on the eastern horizon at the precise hour of a person's birth, which was considered the most critical moment for casting a prediction. Over centuries, the meaning shifted from the act of observing that moment to the chart itself and then to the popular interpretation or forecast derived from it, transforming an ancient practice of celestial observation into a modern term for astrological prediction.
Analysis
Structure: horo (time) + scope (instrument for viewing)
- horo: From Greek hōra meaning "time, season, hour." In this compound, it refers to a specific point in time.
- scope: From Greek skopein meaning "to look at, examine." In English, it functions as a combining form meaning "an instrument for viewing or observing."
Examples
She checks her daily horoscope in the newspaper every morning.
To create an accurate horoscope, an astrologer needs the exact time and place of your birth.
I don't really believe in horoscopes, but I read them for fun.