ōrācŭlum

I. plur, oracla, Att. ap. Non. 488, 2, or Trag. Rel. p. 185 Rib.; Ov. M. 1, 321), i, n. oro, a divine announcement, an oracle (class.).

I. Lit.: oracula ex eo ipso appellata sunt, quod inest in his deorum oratio, Cic. Top. 20, 77: quid est enim oraculum? nempe voluntas divina hominis ore enuntiata, Sen. Contr. 1 praef.: edere, Cic. Tusc. 1, 48, 116: petere a Dodonā, id. Div. 1, 43, 95: quaerere, Verg. G. 4, 449: poscere, id. A. 3, 456: consulere, Ov. M. 3, 8: Delphis oracula cessant, Juv. 6, 555.—

II. Transf.

A. In gen., a prophetic declaration, a prophecy: exposui somnii et furoris oracula, Cic. Div. 1, 32, 70; 1, 50, 115.—

B. A place where oracular responses were given, an oracle: illud oraculum Delphis tam celebre, Cic. Div. 1, 19, 37: Hammonis, Plin. 12, 23, 49, § 107: Delphicum, Macr. S. 1, 18, 4.—

2. Esp. (eccl. Lat.), the mercy-seat, the place in the tabernacle in which the presence of God was manifest, Vulg. Exod. 25, 18; 40, 18: oraculum templi, sanctum sanctorum, id. 3 Reg. 8, 6.—

C. An oracular saying, oracle pronounced by a man: haec ego nunc physicorum oracula fundo, Cic. N. D. 1, 24, 66: inde illa reliqua oracula: nequam agricolam esse, etc., Plin. 18, 6, 8, § 40.—

D. An imperial rescript, Just. Inst. 1, 11, 11.