dipping-needlen.
A magnetic needle mounted so as to be capable of moving in a vertical plane about its centre of gravity, and thus indicating by its dip the direction of the earth's magnetism. So dipping-compass, an instrument consisting of a dipping-needle with a vertical graduated circle for measuring the ‘dip’ or angle of inclination; = dip-circle n. at dip n.1 Compounds 1.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > navigational aids > [noun] > bit of magnetized steel as direction indicator
needlea1393
mariner's needle1600
directory needle1613
inclinatory needle1613
dipping-needle1667
dip-needle1881
1667 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 2 438 The Dipping-Needle is to be used as frequently as the former Experiment is made.
1713 W. Derham Physico-theol. v. i. 316 I have not yet been so happy to procure a tolerable good Dipping-Needle.
1805 M. Flinders in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 95 195 Taking the theodolite and dipping-needle, I landed.
1871 J. Tyndall Fragm. Sci. (1879) I. xiii. 373 Previous to magnetization, a dipping needle..stands accurately level.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1896; most recently modified version published online December 2019).
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n.1667- redstarts
- redstemmed
- redstock brick
- redstraw lammas
- redstreak
- redstreak apple
- redstreak cider
- redstreaked
- redstreaks
- redstreaming
- redstriped
- redstruck
- redswelling
- redtabbed
- redtail
- redtail hawk
- redtail lizard
- reflected dialling
- reflected glory
- reflectedly
- reflectedness
- reflectent
- reflecter
- reflecters
- reflectibility