Illustration of sextant
sextant
noun
sex·tant ˈsek-stənt 
: an instrument for measuring angular distances used especially in navigation to observe altitudes of celestial bodies (as in ascertaining latitude and longitude)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Chow's sextant, a navigation instrument that measured celestial objects and the horizon -- the only navigation device at that time -- was useless. 
Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 23 Aug. 2021 The astrodome included a hanging point for a sextant so navigators would not have to hold the weighty instrument. David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2021 For centuries, using a sextant, a sailor could mark a ship’s location by making a few calculations to determine a star’s position relative to the horizon. David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2021 One, a rally in the Northeast sextant’s King School Park. oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. Fox News, 12 June 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. Fox News, 12 June 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. Fox News, 12 June 2020 Darwin's sextant from the voyage aboard the Beagle. National Geographic, 11 June 2020 See More
Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 23 Aug. 2021 The astrodome included a hanging point for a sextant so navigators would not have to hold the weighty instrument. David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2021 For centuries, using a sextant, a sailor could mark a ship’s location by making a few calculations to determine a star’s position relative to the horizon. David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2021 One, a rally in the Northeast sextant’s King School Park. oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. Fox News, 12 June 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. Fox News, 12 June 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. Fox News, 12 June 2020 Darwin's sextant from the voyage aboard the Beagle. National Geographic, 11 June 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin sextant-, sextans sixth part of a circle, from Latin, sixth part, from sextus sixth
First Known Use
1628, in the meaning defined above
- close to someone's heart
- close to tears
- close to the bone
- close to the edge
- close to the mark
- close to the vest
- close to the wind
- close up shop
- close with
- close, but no cigar
- close-coupled
- close-cropped
- close-fertilize
- close-fights
- close-fitting
- close-grained
- close-hauled
- close-herd
- close-in
- close-in weapons system
- close-knit
- close-lipped
- close-minded
- close-quarter
- close-quartered