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Glite Dictionary
radiesthesia

radiesthesia

9.9
A way of using a pendulum to try to find underground water or minerals
  • noun
  • /ˌreɪdiˈɛsθə/
translation icon : radiestesia
  • The workshop introduced participants to the basics of radiesthesia using simple pendulums.

Examples

  • Some people claim that radiesthesia allows them to find underground water sources.

  • The practice of radiesthesia has been around for centuries.

  • Skeptics question whether radiesthesia has any scientific basis or effectiveness.

  • Many people believe in radiesthesia to find water sources.

  • Many people believe that radiesthesia can help locate underground water sources using a pendulum.

  • Practitioners of radiesthesia claim to detect hidden energies by observing pendulum movements.

  • In radiesthesia, a pendulum is often used to sense minerals hidden beneath the Earth's surface.

Synonyms

dowsing
vsradiesthesia
3 9.9

To search under the ground for water or minerals using a forked stick

also covers sensing unseen energies not only physical underground resources
rhabdomancy
vsradiesthesia
  • Archaic
9.9

A way of searching for underground water or minerals with a forked stick

also includes using a pendulum as well as a rod for sensing

Surface Forms

radiesthesia singular
radiesthesias plural

Morphology

radiesthesia = esthesia (opaque) = radi + esthesia

The word is a specialized coined term whose parts suggest something like 'radiation sensitivity,' but that meaning is not readily recoverable for most learners.

Etymology

Radiesthesia comes from two parts: radi- meaning 'ray', the same idea as radiate, and -esthesia meaning 'feeling' or 'sensing'. So radiesthesia means 'sensing rays', which is why the word is used for the claimed practice of using pendulums or rods to find hidden water, minerals, or energies.