Pentacle - Wiktionary

English

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Etymology

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PIE word
*pénkʷe

From Middle French pentacle, from Old French pentacol (“pendant”), from pent (“hangs”), a (“from”), and col (“neck”), thus "hangs from neck". Likely reanalyzed in medieval times as coming from penta- (“five”) and -culum (object forming suffix), as evidenced by the Latinized form pentaculum and the narrowing of the modern sense to a five-pointed design, especially a pentagram.

Pronunciation

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• Hyphenation: pen‧ta‧cle
• (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɛnt.ə.kl̩/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

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pentacle (plural pentacles)

1. A flat talisman, almost always star-shaped, made of parchment, sheet metal, or other substance, marked with a magic symbol or symbols, used in magical evocation.
   • mid- to late-16th century, British Library Additional manuscript 36674‎[1], London:ouer this pott and the cyrcle hold the pentacles, and perfume them; and say deuoutly theis psalmes followynge
   • 1572, The Clavicle of Solomon, revealed by Ptolomy the Grecian [British Library Sloane MS 3847]‎[2], London:of the same pentacles be certayne exorcizmes and names ineffable and carecters and signes of all the science, therefore, in them the whole science of all this art lyeth hydd
   • 1572, The Clavicle of Solomon, revealed by Ptolomy the Grecian [British Library Sloane MS 3847]‎[3], London:if ye constraine any spirit to come before you and when ye haue shewed him ye secret pentacles, there is none dare say against your minde
2. (Wicca) A pentagram, or a disk with a pentagram on it, especially one that is used for magical or mystical purposes.
   • 1949, Gerald Gardner, chapter 10, in High Magic's Aid, page 92:he drew a pentacle or five-pointed star.
   • 1954, Gerald Gardner, chapter 12, in Witchcraft Today:a five-pointed star (pentacle).
   • 1959, Gerald Gardner, chapter 8, in The Meaning of Witchcraft, page 122:the figure of the pentacle, or pentagram.
3. (Wicca) A circumscribed pentagram.
   • 2002, Kevin Saunders, Wiccan Spirituality: A Magical Attitude for the 21st Century, London: Green Magic, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 57:The pentacle—a pentagram enclosed within a surrounding circle—as found as the centre-piece on a witch's altar is often worn as a silver pendant by witches and other neo-pagans alike repesenting their beliefs in the interconnectedness and interdependence of the powers of nature and spirit.
   • 2006, Denise Zimmermann with Gleason, Katherine and Liguana, Maria, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, Indianapolis: Alpha, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, LCC BF1566.Z55 2006, page 146:A pentacle is a pentagram with a circle drawn around it.
   • 2007 March 1, Ruth Barr, chapter 5, in Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries: Intuitive Ritual Creation, 2nd edition, Woodbury: Llewellyn Publications, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, LCC BL625.7.B39 2007, page 93:The pentagram becomes a pentacle when it is enclosed within a circle and inscribed on a disc or stone.
4. A figure formed by two equilateral triangles intersecting regularly so as to form a six-pointed star. (Can we verify(+) this sense?)

Synonyms

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• pentaculum
• pentagram, pentalpha

Antonyms

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• inverted pentagram

Meronyms

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• pentagram, pentalpha

Translations

[edit] pentagram — see also pentagram,‎ pentalpha

Esperanto: pentagramo French: pentacle (fr) Spanish: pentáculo m

circumscribed pentagram The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations. Translations to be checked

French: pentacle (fr) m Italian: pentacolo (it) m Latin: pentaculum

See also

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• pentacle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

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Pronunciation

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• IPA(key): /pɛ̃.takl/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

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pentacle m (plural pentacles)

1. pentacle

Further reading

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• “pentacle”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Middle French

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Etymology

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Attested at least as early as 1547, from Old French pentacol.

Noun

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pentacle m (plural pentacles)

1. pentacle (a talisman of parchment, sheet metal, or other substance, marked with a magic symbol or symbols, used in magical evocation)
   • 1547, Les Œuvres Magiques de Henri-Corneille Agrippa, Par Pierre d'Aban, Latin et Français, Avec des Secrets occultes‎[4], "Heptameron" p. 13:Il faut de plus, avoir les parfums propres au jour que l'on fait l'opération; il faut auſſi a voir de l'eau benite par un Prêtre, un vaſe de terre neuf, plein de feu, l'Habit & le Pentacle, comme nous l'avons ditIt is also required, to have the incenses proper to the days that one did the operation; it is also necessary to see the water blessed by a Priest, a new earthen vessel, full of fire, the Garment and the Pentacle, as we have said
   • 1547, Les Œuvres Magiques de Henri-Corneille Agrippa, Par Pierre d'Aban, Latin et Français, Avec des Secrets occultes‎[5], "Heptameron" p. 14:Le Maître qui ſe ſera diſpoſé à la cérémonie par trois jours de jeûne & d'abſtinence & de toutes ſouillures, revêtu de ſes Habits blancs, avec le Pentacle, les Parfums & autres choſes néceſſaires entrera dans le CercleThe Master who will be prepared for the ceremony by three days of fasting and abstinence and [cleansed] of all dirt, dressed in his white Garments, with the Pentacle, the Perfumes and other necessary things shall enter the Circle