dowser

D2O1W4S1E1R1
/ˈdaʊzə/

noun

A divining rod used in searching for water, ore, etc.; a dowsing rod.

RareScrabble 10

Meanings

noundowser (plural dowsers)

plural dowsers

  1. A divining rod used in searching for water, ore, etc.; a dowsing rod.

    Synonyms: divining rod, dowsing rod

  2. One who uses the dowser or divining rod. A diviner.

    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
    2 more examples

    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

    Synonyms: rhabdomantist, rhabdomancer, radiesthesist, water diviner, waterfinder

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA divining rod used in searching for water, ore, etc.; a dowsing rod.

nounOne who uses the dowser or divining rod. A diviner.

More synonyms by meaning

nounsomeone who uses a divining rod to find underground water

Broader

nounforked stick that is said to dip down to indicate underground water or oil

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Catalan saurí, rabdomàntic
  • sauríone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • rabdomànticone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • rabdomànticaone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • rabdomantone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Dutch wichelroedeloper
  • wichelroedeloperone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Finnish kaivonkatsoja
  • kaivonkatsojaone who uses the dowser or divining rod
French rhabdomancien, rhabdomancienne
  • rhabdomancienone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • rhabdomancienneone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • baguettisantone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • baguettisanteone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • sourcierone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • sourcièreone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • radiesthésisteone who uses the dowser or divining rod
German Rutengänger, Rutengängerin
  • Rutengängerone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Rutengängerinone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Wünschelrutengängerone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Wünschelrutengängerinone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Wünschelrutengeherone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Wünschelrutengeherinone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Rhabdomantone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • Rhabdomantinone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Greek ραβδοσκόπος
  • ραβδοσκόπος (ravdoskópos)one who uses the dowser or divining rod
Irish aimsitheoir uisce, collóir
  • aimsitheoir uisceone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • collóirone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Italian rabdomante
  • rabdomanteone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Latin aquilex
  • aquilexone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Polish różdżkarz, różdżkarka
  • różdżkarzone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • różdżkarkaone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • radiestetaone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • radiestetkaone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Portuguese rabdomante, vedor
  • rabdomanteone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • vedorone who uses the dowser or divining rod
Spanish zahorí, rabdomante
  • zahoríone who uses the dowser or divining rod
  • rabdomanteone who uses the dowser or divining rod

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with dowser

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

dowser. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dowser

MLA

“dowser.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dowser. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dowser,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dowser.

Source: dowser on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.