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De - Pt| English Dictionary: sextant | by the DICT Development Group |
| 2 results for sextant | |
| From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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| From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
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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. 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}. 3. (Astron.) The constellation Sextans. {Box sextant}, a small sextant inclosed in a cylindrical case to make it more portable. | |
