A.a large bird, bird of prey, “οἰωνοί, φῆναι ἢ αἰγυπιοὶ γαμψώνυχες” Od.16.216 ; of the eagle, “Κρονίωνι . . φίλτατος οἰωνῶν” Il.24.293 ; called οἰωνῶν βασιλεύς by A.Ag.114 (lyr.), Pi.O.13.21, cf. Ar. Av.515 ; “ἀρχὸς οἰ.” Pi.P.1.14 ; mentioned as devouring carcasses, Il.1.5,22.335, cf. S.Ant.205,698, Aj.830 ; “οἰωνοὶ ὠμησταί” Il.11.453 ; “θῆρές τ᾽ οἰωνοί τε” Emp.21.11,130.2 ; ὑπ᾽ οἰωνῶν ταφέντα, of corpses devoured by carrion birds, A.Th.1025, cf. S.Ant.29 ; as an image of swiftness, “οἰωνοῖς ἅμ᾽ ἕπονται” Hes.Th.268.
2. generally, birds, opp. beasts, S.Fr.941.11 ; so in οἰωνοκτόνος.
II. a bird of omen or augury, Il.12.237, Od.15.532, Hes.Op.801 ; “τοὺς ἄνωθεν φρονιμωτάτους οἰωνούς” S.El.1059 (lyr.) ; “οὔτ᾽ ἀπ᾽ οἰωνῶν . . , οὔτ᾽ ἐκ θεῶν του γνωτόν” Id.OT395, cf. 398 ; “οἰ. αἴσιοι” X.Cyr.3.3.22, cf. Il. 12.237, Plu.2.282d ; of augurs, καθέζεσθαι ἐπ᾽ οἰωνῶν, ἐπ᾽ οἰωνοῖς καθῆσθαι, Id.Rom.22, Caes.47 ; οἱ ἐπ᾽ οἰωνοῖς ἱερεῖς the augurs, Id.Ant. 5.
III. omen, token, presage, drawn from these birds, Il.2.859, al., cf. E.Hipp.873 ; εἷς οἰ. ἄριστος ἀμύνεσθαι περὶ πάτρης the one best omen is to fight for fatherland, Il.12.243 ; οἰ. ἀγαθοί good omens, Hes. Fr.134.11 ; δέκομαι τὸν οἰ. I accept the omen, hail it as auspicious, Hdt.9.91 ; “οὗτος οἰ. μέγας” E.Or.788 ; “δέδοικα . . τὸν οἰ.” Ar.Eq.28 ; “τοῦ ἔκπλου οἰ. ἐδόκει εἶναι” Th.6.27 ; οἰωνὸν θέσθαι or τίθεσθαι take as an omen, E.Ph.858, Pl.Alc.2.151b ; “εἰς οἰ. τίθεσθαι χρηστόν” Plu.Luc.36 ; “πρὸς οἰωνοῦ τ.” Ath.1.13e ; “οἰωνόν τινα ποιεῖσθαι” Pl.Lg.702c ; δι᾽ οἰωνοῦ λαμβάνειν, πρὸς οἰωνοῦ λαβεῖν, D.H.2.67,3.13 ; “οἰωνοῦ χάριν” Pl.Mx. 249b.
