table tilting

9.9

A practice where a table moves during a meeting to contact spirits

noun

Archaic

: inclinación de la mesa

The investigator observed several instances of table tilting during the séance.

Examples

Skeptics argued that table tilting was the result of unconscious movements by the participants.
During the Victorian era, many believed that table tilting could help communicate with the spirit world.
During the séance, the table tilting amazed everyone present.
Many people claim to have witnessed table tilting at spiritual gatherings.
During the séance, participants allegedly experienced table tilting as the table moved on its own.
Many practitioners of spiritualism assert that table tilting is a sign of communication with spirits.
At the gathering, the phenomenon of table tilting sparked discussions about the existence of the supernatural.

Synonyms

table tipping

vstable tilting

Archaic

9.9

A table moving during a séance that people say is caused by spirits

focuses on a leaning motion rather than general manipulation

table turning

vstable tilting

Archaic

9.9

A spiritual practice where people say a table moves during a meeting with spirits

emphasises a leaning motion rather than a circular movement

Surface Forms

table tilting singular

table tiltings plural

Morphology

table + tilt

The phrase literally names the action of a table tilting, so a B1 learner who knows 'table' and 'tilt' will grasp the basic idea of a table being tipped or inclined. However, the conventionalized sense referring specifically to a séance practice attributed to spirits is cultural/specific and not fully predictable from the parts, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Table tilting comes from seances where people put their hands on a table that seemed to tilt or move as if something unseen was pushing it. That's why table tilting means the practice of trying to contact the 'spirit world' by watching a table move.