oracle

Etymology

From Middle English oracle, from Old French oracle, from Latin ōrāculum.

noun

1. A shrine dedicated to some prophetic deity.
2. A person such as a priest through whom the deity is supposed to respond with prophecy or advice.
3. A prophetic response, often enigmatic or allegorical, so given.
   The several oracles included in this haftarah presumably were uttered at different times to the people in exile, presenting diverse themes and using distinct styles. 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 94
4. (figurative, archaic) Something said that must come true or cannot be countermanded; an inexorable command or declaration.
5. A person considered to be a source of wisdom.
   a literary oracle
6. A wise sentence or decision of great authority.
7. A fortune-teller.
8. One who communicates a divine command; an angel; a prophet.
9. (Jewish antiquity) The sanctuary, or most holy place in the temple; also, the temple itself.
10. (computing theory) A theoretical entity capable of answering some collection of questions.
    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; […] 1994, Roger Penrose, “Quantum theory and the brain”, in Shadows of the Mind, Oxford University Press, page 380
11. (cryptocurrencies) A third-party service that provides smart contracts with information from the outside world.
    For example, an oracle may send temperature data reported by the National Weather Service or report the daily LIBOR rate to a smart contract. 2020, Daniel T. Stabile, Kimberly A. Prior, Andrew M. Hinkes, “Smart Contracts”, in Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, Edward Elgar Publishing, page 223

verb

1. (obsolete) To utter oracles or prophecies.