planchette

noun

plan·​chette plan-ˈshet How to pronounce planchette (audio)
: a small triangular or heart-shaped board supported on casters at two points and a vertical pencil at a third and believed to produce automatic writing when lightly touched by the fingers
also : a similar board without a pencil

Examples of planchette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Occult science was premised upon the belief that the spirit world could be studied scientifically with the correct tools and skills, such as spirit photography and planchettes. Tithi Bhattacharya / Made By History, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024 But the movement of the planchette is only part of the Ouija board’s mystery. Kate Golembiewski, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2022 The standout piece from the Silver Edition box is a planchette. Rob Wieland, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2021 Owned by Rick Schreck, a tattoo artist and the Vice President of the Talking Board Historical Society (TBHS), OuijaZilla is completely functional and outfitted with a planchette that weighs around 400 pounds. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 16 Oct. 2019 Ouija boards aren't foolproof and, yes, people often — whether consciously or unconsciously — move the planchette. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 19 June 2018 At first Hutchings was on the board with Curran, then others began taking a turn at the planchette. Joy Lanzendorfer, Longreads, 14 June 2018 The playful, interactive Ouija 2000 allows visitors to the site to control the planchette of a real Ouija board via remote, by moving their computer’s mouse, while watching a live feed of the board onscreen. Reena Jana, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2000

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, diminutive of planche plank, from Latin planca

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of planchette was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near planchette

Cite this Entry

“Planchette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planchette. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

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