Pentacle

//ˈpɛnt.ə.kl̩// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 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.

    "ouer this pott and the cyrcle hold the pentacles, and perfume them; and say deuoutly theis psalmes followynge"

  2. 2
    a star with 5 points; formed by 5 straight lines between the vertices of a pentagon and enclosing another pentagon wordnet
  3. 3
    A pentagram, or a disk with a pentagram on it, especially one that is used for magical or mystical purposes.

    "he drew a pentacle or five-pointed star."

  4. 4
    A circumscribed pentagram.

    "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."

  5. 5
    A figure formed by two equilateral triangles intersecting regularly so as to form a six-pointed star.

Etymology

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.

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