a method of surveying in which an area is divided into triangles, one side (the base line) and all angles of which are measured and the lengths of the other lines calculated trigonometrically
2.
the network of triangles so formed
3.
the fixing of an unknown point, as in navigation, by making it one vertex of a triangle, the other two being known
4. chess
a key manoeuvre in the endgame in which the king moves thrice in a triangular path to leave the opposing king with the move and at a disadvantage
triangulation in American English
(traɪˌæŋgjəˈleɪʃən)
noun
1. Surveying and Navigation
the process of determining the distance between points on the earth's surface, or the relative positions of points, by dividing up a large area into a series of connected triangles, measuring a base line between two points, and then locating a third point by computing both the size of the angles made by lines from this point to each end of the base line and thelengths of these lines
2.
the triangles thus marked out
Word origin
ML triangulatio
Examples of 'triangulation' in a sentence
triangulation
The feed from twenty East India ships was providing good triangulation: he would hit the point dead center.
Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry THE MOAT AROUND MURCHESON'S EYE (1993)