sextant
(noun) a measuring instrument for measuring the angular distance between celestial objects; resembles an octant
sextant
(noun) a unit of angular distance equal to 60 degrees
Source: WordNet® 3.1
sextant (plural sextants)
(nautical) A navigational device for deriving angular distances between objects so as to determine latitude and longitude.
(geometry) One sixth of a circle or disc; a sector with an angle of 60°.
(dentistry) One of six groups of adjacent teeth, excluding the wisdom teeth. The front sextants go from canine to canine, and there are sextants on the right and left of these. See Periodontal examination.
• exstant
Sextant
(astronomy) The constellation Sextans.
• exstant
Source: Wiktionary
Sex"tant, n. Etym: [L. sextans, -antis, the sixth part of an as, fr. sextus sixth, sex six. See Six.]
1. (Math.)
Definition: 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.)
Definition: The constellation Sextans. Box sextant, a small sextant inclosed in a cylindrical case to make it more portable.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
22 February 2025
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’
The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.
