coscinomancy

== English == === Alternative forms === Most of these are erroneous and are not in use: choschinomancy choschinomancie coskinomancy koskinomancy cosinomancy coskiomancy cosnomancy coskniomancy coseinomancy === Etymology === Ancient Greek koskinomantis, "a diviner using a sieve", from koskinon, "a sieve". === Noun === coscinomancy (uncountable) Divination by the use of a suspended sieve sometimes from tongs or shears. The movement of the sieve when a person's name or word is spoken is interpreted. 1603 Christopher Heydon A Defence of Ivdiciall Astrolgie And as for Hydromancie, and Choschinomancie, they could vanish as superfluous, as were evident and ridiculous even to the ignorant. 1660 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. By Coscinomancy, most religiously observed of old, amidst the Ceremonies of the ancient Romans. Let us have a Sieve and Shiers, and thou shalt see Devils. 1913 Halliday Greek Div. x. To the same species of divinatory rites [i.e. those involving a swinging pendulum] belong the koskinomancy of Theokritos, familiar in England as the consultation of the sieve and shears, and the minor rites of axinomancy and sphondylomancy.