I.a large bird, bird of prey, such as a vulture or eagle, and so distinguished from a common bird (ὄρνις), Hom., etc.
II.a bird of omen or augury, Hom., etc.:—the flight to (not from) the right, i. e. towards the East, was fortunate, and vice versa.
2.an omen, presage, drawn from these birds, Lat. auspicium or augurium, according as taken from seeing their flight or hearing their cry, Il., etc.; δέκομαι τὸν οἰωνόν I accept the omen, hail it as favourable, Hdt.
commonly deriv. from οἶος, — most birds of prey being solitary, — cf. κοινωνός from κοινός
