ouija
/ˈwiːd͡ʒə/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.74 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A board, having letters of the alphabet and the words yes and no; used with a planchette during a seance to "communicate" with spirits.
Countable
Example Sentences
- "Soon after the departure of my brother to the better land, our spirit-band informed us very plainly through "Ouija," that it was our duty to remove to Boston in order that our children might have better educational facilities, and be admitted to the "musical swim" of the "Hub of the Universe.""
- "Mediums — tipping tables — ouijas — all that sort of thing."
Etymology
The popular belief that the word came from French oui (“yes”) + German ja (“yes”) is a misconception. The name is taken from a word spelled out on the board when it was asked to name itself by Helen Peters, sister-in-law of Kennard Company investor Elijah Bond. It is noted in personal letters that Ouija was the name of a woman in a painting above her head at the time, who it is speculated may have in fact been Ouida.