Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Necromancy"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Necromancy \Nec"ro*man`cy\, n. [OE. nigromaunce, nigromancie,
OF. nigromance, F. n['e]cromance, n['e]cromancie, from L.
necromantia, Gr. ?; ? a dead body (akin to L. necare to kill,
Skr. na(?) to perish, vanish) + ? divination, fr. ? diviner,
seer, akin to E. mania. See {Mania}, and cf. {Internecine},
{Noxious}. The old spelling is due to confusion with L. niger
black. Hence the name black art.]
The art of revealing future events by means of a pretended
communication with the dead; the black art; hence, magic in
general; conjuration; enchantment. See {Black art}.
This palace standeth in the air, By necromancy
plac[`e]d there. --Drayton.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
necromancy
n : conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying
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