Palantir
Definition
A palantír (plural: palantíri) is a fictional indestructible crystal ball from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, used for long-distance communication and scrying distant events—basically Sauron's version of a cursed Zoom call.
Palantir Technologies Inc., a U.S. software company specializing in big data analytics and AI platforms, often contracted by governments for surveillance and predictive policing; named after Tolkien's seeing-stones, because who needs subtlety in tech branding?
Examples
After staring too long into the palantir, Denethor decided his barbecue strategy needed a total overhaul.
Palantir's latest software update promises to predict your coffee order before you even wake up—creepy or convenient?
In the investor meeting, she pulled out her metaphorical palantir and foresaw the crypto crash with unnerving accuracy.
Forget crystal balls; Palantir's Gotham platform is the modern witch's tool for turning data dumps into dystopian prophecies.