Meaning & use
crystal ball symbolism
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Meanings
noununcountable
The set of ideas or meanings that people connect with a glass ball used by fortune-tellers.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun, so it takes a singular verb: crystal ball symbolism is common in old paintings.
Patterns
- the symbolism of the crystal ball
- crystal ball symbolism in something
Her essay examines crystal ball symbolism in nineteenth-century paintings.
In dreams, crystal ball symbolism often points to a wish to know the future.
The film uses crystal ball symbolism to suggest that fate cannot be controlled.
noununcountable
The practice of treating a glass ball as a sign of hidden knowledge or prediction.
Grammar: Also uncountable; often follows words like use, rely on, or turn to.
Patterns
- rely on crystal ball symbolism
- the use of crystal ball symbolism
Some writers rely on crystal ball symbolism to hint at events that have not happened yet.
Critics say the company's forecasts are closer to crystal ball symbolism than to real analysis.
Common combinations
- crystal ball symbolism in dreams
- Many websites discuss crystal ball symbolism in dreams.
- the symbolism of the crystal ball
- The symbolism of the crystal ball changes from one culture to another.
- use crystal ball symbolism
- The poet uses crystal ball symbolism to introduce a mood of mystery.
- crystal ball symbolism in art
- A lecture on crystal ball symbolism in art drew a large crowd.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fortune-telling imagery
- A broader term for pictures and signs linked to predicting the future, of which crystal ball symbolism is one example.
- occult symbolism
- Covers signs from many magical traditions, so it is wider and more negative in tone than crystal ball symbolism.
Word family
- crystal ball noun
- A clear glass ball that fortune-tellers are said to look into.
- symbol noun
- A sign or object that stands for an idea.
- symbolic adjective
- Acting as a sign of something else.
Commonly confused: crystal ball symbolism or crystal ball?
crystal ball symbolism vs crystal ball
The object itself is a crystal ball; crystal ball symbolism is the meanings people attach to it.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase is an uncountable noun, so it takes a singular verb and cannot be used as a verb or made plural; option 1 wrongly uses 'are', and options 3 and 4 treat it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “crystal ball symbolism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.