Sextant

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sextant \Sex"tant\, n. [L. sextans, -antis, the sixth part of an
     as, fr. sextus sixth, sex six. See {Six}.]
     1. (Math.) The sixth part of a circle.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An instrument for measuring angular distances between


        objects, -- used esp. at sea, for ascertaining the
        latitude and longitude. It is constructed on the same
        optical principle as Hadley's quadrant, but usually of
        metal, with a nicer graduation, telescopic sight, and its
        arc the sixth, and sometimes the third, part of a circle.
        See {Quadrant}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Astron.) The constellation Sextans.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Box sextant}, a small sextant inclosed in a cylindrical case
        to make it more portable.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sextant
       n 1: a unit of angular distance equal to 60 degrees
       2: a measuring instrument for measuring the angular distance
          between celestial objects; resembles an octant

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  42 Moby Thesaurus words for "sextant":
     astrolabe, astronavigation, azimuth circle, azimuth compass, bevel,
     bevel protractor, bevel square, celestial navigation, chronometer,
     clinometer, coastwise navigation, consolan, crescent,
     dead reckoning, fix, goniometer, graphometer, half circle,
     hemicycle, line of position, loran, pantometer, pilotage,
     plane sailing, point-to-point navigation, protractor, quadrant,
     radar, radio beacon, radio navigation, radiogoniometer, sector,
     semicircle, shoran, sofar, sonar, tables, theodolite, transit,
     transit circle, transit instrument, transit theodolite