Among them, a black and white jackdaw hopped, a magic sign of great portent and possibly the reason why the camp had been pitched there in the first place.

"We've a bit of live action for you, son," Mr. Anderson announced, with great portent, as he tucked his cellphone back into his handkerchief pocket.

For him it was one of the great portents of impending victory.

At first hewas only vaguely aware that something of great portent was afoot.

The night of his birth was marked with the appearance of a twin-tailed comet, which the human tribes took as a sign of great portent from the gods.

The superstitious would have viewed this as a great portent, but it was probably a firework accidentally or deliberately set off.

If so, it's a not a great portent for stock market returns over the long haul.

One great portent must we have, to lift hopes, and set hands against the Masters.

But if so, it has great portent.

Which meant that its historically accurate "warning of great and dire portent" could, reasonably, be assigned.