portent

Borrowed from Latin portentum,^[1] participle of portendere, from portendō (“I predict, I foretell”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔɹtənt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔːtɛnt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔɹtɛnt/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ˈpo(ː)ɹtɛnt/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ˈpoətɛnt/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)tɛnt, -o(ː)ɹtɛnt, -oətɛnt

portent (plural portents)

1. Something that portends an event about to occur, especially an unfortunate or evil event; an omen.

   It was a portent of things to come.

2. A portending; significance

   a howl of dire portent

3. Something regarded as portentous; a marvel; prodigy.

• See also Thesaurus:omen

• portend
• portentous

• “portent”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

• torpent

• Audio:

  (file)

portent

1. third-person plural present indicative/subjunctive of porter

portent

1. third-person plural present active subjunctive of portō