Planchettes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, usually flat board or tablet that is often used in spiritualism for communicating with the spirit world through writing
2. A device typically used in séance practices, often with a pointer, that moves to spell out messages from spirits
3. A tool made for divination or paranormal communication, commonly employed in conjunction with a Ouija board to facilitate contact with the unknown

Etymology: "Planchettes" is simply the plural of "planchette," so the word's history is that of its singular form. It was borrowed from French, where "planchette" is a diminutive of "planche," meaning a plank or board, and the French suffix "-ette" makes it a "little board." The device is named for its shape: a small flat piece of wood, usually heart-shaped or triangular, mounted on casters or a pencil-holding stem. The name thus describes the object's physical form rather than its supernatural purpose. The sense of a small board moving over a surface under the touch of the hands is the core of the word, and the spiritual meaning was attached to that tool once it became popular in séances.