David's staffn.
Originally an error of Pietro della Valle's, who gave Dauidstoff as the English name of an instrument for taking the altitude of the sun. This was reproduced by his translator, Havers, as David's Staff, which was copied by Blount and Phillips, and is repeated in some modern dictionaries. So also David's quadrant (= back-staff n.) in Phillips (ed. 1696), corrected in Kersey's ed. (1706) to Davis's quadrant (quadrant n.1 7).
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > navigational aids > [noun] > cross-staff
Jacob's staff1559
cross-staff1594
David's staff1623
back-staff1627
fore-staff1669
radiometer1728
jackstaff1886
1623 P. della Valle Let. 22 Mar. in Viaggi (1663) IV. 10 Con diuersi altri strumenti: e con vno in particolare, che mi dissero, da poco tempo in quà, essere stato inuentato da vn tal Dauid, che dal suo nome l'haueua chiamato Dauidstoff, che in lingua Inglese vale à dir legno di Dauid.
1664 G. Havers translation One [instrument] invented by one David, and from his name call'd David's Staff.
1674 T. Blount Glossographia (ed. 4) Davids-staff, is an instrument in Navigation, consisting of two Triangles united together, one longer then the other, both having their base arched, and between them in the circle of their bases, containing an entire Quadrant of ninety degrees. Valle's Travels.
1696 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) David's [1706 Davis's] Quadrant, an Instrument us'd by Seamen, wherewith they observe the height of the Sun with their Backs toward it.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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