dowser
noun/ˈdaʊzə/
Etymology From dowse + -er.
1
A divining rod used in searching for water, ore, etc.; a dowsing rod.
2
One who uses the dowser or divining rod. A diviner.
- Interestingly enough, John Mullins, the celebrated English dowser, was able to do this experiment using a forked twig, rather than a pendulum. He claimed to be able to locate nothing but water with his dowsing rod.1996, Richard Webster, Dowsing for Beginners: The Art of Discovering Water, Treasure, Gold, Oil, Artifacts, Llewellyn Worldwide, →ISBN:
- The instrument a dowser uses is called a dowsing rod, dowsing stick, doodlebug (when used to locate oil), or divining rod. Almost any item can be used for this purpose: a birch twig, a whalebone, and even a hanger.2002, Michael Shermer, The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 93:
1 more example
- Google Cayce and you will find “coolhunter,” and if you look closely you may see it suggested that she is a “sensitive” of some kind, a dowser in the world of global marketing.2003, William Gibson, Pattern Recognition (Bigend cycle; book 1), New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, page 2:
- Related terms
- rhabdomancy