Nautical. Relating to or designating a navigational course in which a ship follows a rhumb line, i.e., a course which cuts meridians at a constant…

the compass by which a ship is steered as distinguished from the variation compass (see compass, n.1 12).

spec. in correcting compass, correcting magnet.

Nautical. = telltale compass at compounds. Now rare.

A compass-like sighting device, usually on a ship or aircraft, used for taking the relative bearings of a distant object, and consisting of a…

a form of magnetic compass used in ships in which the card and needle are mainly supported by floating in a bowl filled with liquid.

= gyro-compass n. at gyro, n.1 compounds.

a form of gyroscope used as a compass, being continuously driven and specially mounted so that its axis remains parallel to that of the earth.

a radio direction-finder used for the purpose of navigation.

= gyro-compass n. at compounds.

Pertaining to or of the nature of the gyroscope; rotatory. Also gyroscopic compass = gyro-compass n.; gyroscopic couple (see quot. 1959).

any of various kinds of compass in which the earth's magnetic field is made to induce in a coil an electric current whose strength depends on the…

a gyro-compass used to steer a vessel or an aircraft without human agency.

= inductor compass n. at inductor, n. compounds.

an instrument used to determine the direction of true north by reference to the stars.

an aeronautical compass incorporating a gyroscopically controlled flux-gate.