astrolabenoun [ C ]
/ˈæs.trəʊ.leɪb//ˈæs.troʊ.leɪb/a circular device used from ancient times until about the 18th century for measuring the position of stars, and on ships for calculating the ship's position:
The collection includes Islamic astrolabes made from the 11th through 16th centuries.
More examples
- The astrolabe is a heavy brass ring marked into 360 degrees with a pivoting sighting rule attached at the centre.
- Merchant princes of the Renaissance collected ancient artifacts, hand-printed books, fine furniture and beautifully made scientific devices, like astrolabes.
- The astrolabe was recovered in 1999 from an underwater archaeological site at Passa Pau, Santiago.
- His calculation for the maximum elevation of a rainbow was probably done with an astrolabe.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Navigation & shipwrecks
- buoy
- channel
- chart
- circumnavigate
- dead reckoning
- lane
- lighthouse
- lodestar
- nautical mile
- navigable
- navigate
- navigation
- navigational
- navigator
- refloat
- sea lane
- shipwreck
- sonar
- sound
- wreck
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Astronomy