Traditionally, a
forked wooden stick, cut form a
willow or other water-loving plant, used in
dowsing. It supposedly dips down sharply when held over a body of
groundwater or a
mineral deposit, thus revealing the presence of these substances. Syn:
witching stick; wiggle stick; dowsing rod; mineral rod; dipping rod; twig; dowser.
Glossary of Geology, Third Ed. Bates and Jackson. American Geological Institute, 1987.