Cross-staff

2 definitions found

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

  Forestaff \Fore"staff`\, n. (Naut.)
     An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes
     of heavenly bodies, now superseded by the sextant; -- called
     also {cross-staff}. --Brande & C.
     [1913 Webster]



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

  Cross-staff \Cross"-staff`\ (-st?f`), n.
     1. An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the
        altitudes of celestial bodies.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A surveyor's instrument for measuring offsets.
        [1913 Webster]