oracleとは意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔɹəkəl/, /ˈɒɹəkəl/
• Homophone: auricle

名詞

oracle (複数形 oracles)

1. A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
   • 1629, John Milton, “On the Morning of Christs Nativity”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, OCLC 606951673:

     The oracles are dumb; / No voice or hideous hum / Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.

2. A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.

   Synonym: prophet

3. A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
4. (figuratively, archaic) Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:

     Fight all couragiouſly and be you kings,
     I ſpeake it, and my words are oracles.

   • 1612, Michael Drayton, “The Second Song”, in [John Selden], editor, Poly-Olbion. Or A Chorographicall Description of Tracts, Riuers, Mountaines, Forests, and Other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britaine, […], London: […] H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Mathew Lownes; I. Browne; I. Helme; I. Busbie, published 1613, OCLC 1049089293, page 29:

     Shee ſtiles her ſelfe their Chiefe, and ſweares ſhee will command; / And, what-ſo-ere ſhee ſaith, for Oracles muſt ſtand.

5. A person considered to be a source of wisdom.

   Synonym: expert

   a literary oracle

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], OCLC 2024748, (please specify the page number, または |part=prologue, I to VII, または conclusion):

     oracles of mode

   • 1856 December​, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson [from the Encyclopædia Britannica]”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, OCLC 30956848:

     The country rectors […] thought him an oracle on points of learning.

6. A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
7. A fortune-teller.
   • 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Francesca Carrara, volume 2, page 46:

     "Madame de l'Hôpital has been quite la fée bienfaisante" said Lauzun, who, like others, had been consulting the oracle. "I am bewildered by my future good fortune. I quite anticipate being married, if it is to bring me all that she predicts."

8. One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
   • 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398, page 1:

     God hath now sent his living oracle / Into the world to teach his final will.

9. (Jewish antiquity) The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 1 Kings 6:19:

     And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 1”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     Siloa's brook, that flow'd / Fast by the oracle of God.

10. (computing theory) A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
    • 1994, Roger Penrose, “Quantum theory and the brain”, in Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 380:

      Thus, an oracle machine (which enacts an oracle algorithm) would be like an ordinary Turing machine, except that adjoined to its ordinary computational operations would be another operation: ‘Call in the oracle and ask it whether C_q(n) stops; […]

11. (cryptocurrencies) A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.
    • 2020, Daniel T. Stabile; Kimberly A. Prior; Andrew M. Hinkes, “Smart Contracts”, in Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, Edward Elgar Publishing, →ISBN, page 223:

      For example, an oracle may send temperature data reported by the National Weather Service or report the daily LIBOR rate to a smart contract.

派生語

• oracle card
• oracle machine
• dice oracle

動詞

oracle (三人称単数 現在形 oracles, 現在分詞 oracling, 過去形および過去分詞形 oracled)

1. (obsolete) To utter oracles or prophecies.

アナグラム

• Calero, Carole, Cleora, coaler, recoal