divining-rod
Definition
- Noun:
- A forked stick or rod: A "divining-rod" is a Y-shaped stick or a straight rod, traditionally made of hazel or willow, believed to indicate the presence of underground water, minerals, or other hidden substances by moving or dipping in the hands of a person known as a dowser.
Usage Examples
- (Using a forked stick to locate underground water.)
- (A rod used in dowsing for hidden objects.)
Advanced Usage
"to use a divining-rod": to employ the rod in the practice of dowsing.
- He used a divining-rod to search for a lost well on the property. (He employed the rod as a tool for dowsing.)
"the divining-rod is said to dip": a common description of how the rod supposedly reacts.
- According to tradition, the divining-rod is said to dip sharply when it passes over water. (The rod is believed to move downward as a sign.)
Variants and Related Words
Dowsing (n): the practice of searching for underground water or minerals using a divining-rod.
- Dowsing is considered a pseudoscience by many, but it has a long history in rural communities. (The act of using a divining-rod.)
Dowser (n): a person who uses a divining-rod.
- The dowser claimed his divining-rod never failed to find water. (The person who practices dowsing.)
Synonyms
- Dowsing rod: another term for divining-rod, used interchangeably.
- Water witch: a colloquial term for a person or rod used in dowsing for water, though often referring to the practitioner.
Phrasal Verbs
- Divine for (phrasal verb): to search for something using a divining-rod.
- They hired a specialist to divine for oil on their land. (To use a divining-rod to locate oil.)
Related Idioms
Strike water with a divining-rod: a metaphor for discovering something hidden or valuable.
- He struck water with a divining-rod when he found the lost documents in the attic. (A figurative use meaning to uncover something.)
As sensitive as a divining-rod: describing someone who is highly perceptive or intuitive.
- Her intuition is as sensitive as a divining-rod; she always knows when something is wrong. (Comparing intuition to the supposed sensitivity of the rod.)