SEXTANTS
Noun
sextants
plural of sextant
Source: Wiktionary
SEXTANT
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
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6 May 2025
HEEDLESS
(adjective) marked by or paying little heed or attention; “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics”--Franklin D. Roosevelt; “heedless of danger”; “heedless of the child’s crying”
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