sextants
plural of sextant
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
8 November 2024
(noun) the act of furnishing an equivalent person or thing in the place of another; “replacing the star will not be easy”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
