Meaning & use
pentacle
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Meanings
nouncountablereligion
A five-pointed star, often drawn inside a circle, used as a magical or spiritual symbol.
Grammar: Often drawn or worn: a silver pentacle.
Patterns
- draw a pentacle
- wear a pentacle
She wore a silver pentacle on a chain around her neck.
The book showed a pentacle drawn in a circle.
A pentacle was carved above the old door.
nouncountablespecialist
In tarot, one of the cards of the suit often linked with coins, earth and wealth.
Grammar: Usually plural when naming the suit: the Suit of Pentacles.
Patterns
- the ace of pentacles
- a card from the pentacles
She drew the ace of pentacles from the deck.
The reader explained that pentacles stand for money and work.
The suit of pentacles is often linked to earth.
Word forms
| plural | pentacles |
|---|
Common combinations
- draw a pentacle
- He drew a pentacle on the page.
- wear a pentacle
- She wears a pentacle as a sign of her faith.
- silver pentacle
- A silver pentacle hung from the necklace.
- pentacle in a circle
- A pentacle in a circle is a common symbol.
- suit of pentacles
- The suit of pentacles stands for material things.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pentagram
- Pentagram is the star shape itself, and many people use it for the same symbol, while pentacle often implies a circle around the star.
- star
- Star is the general word for any star shape and has no magical meaning.
- talisman
- Talisman is any lucky or protective charm, whereas pentacle names a particular five-pointed symbol.
- amulet
- Amulet is a protective object of any shape, and pentacle is one specific design.
Word family
Commonly confused: pentacle or pentagon? pentacle or pinnacle?
pentacle vs pentagon
A pentagon is a flat shape with five straight sides, whereas a pentacle is a star symbol.
pentacle vs pinnacle
A pinnacle is the highest point, and it is unrelated to the star symbol.
Practice
Which shape is usually meant by a pentacle?
Choose one answer.
A pentacle is a five-pointed star, usually with a circle. A square or hexagon has the wrong number of sides, and a circle alone lacks the star.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pentacle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.