Dictionary.com

bow compass

[ boh ]
/ boʊ /
Save This Word!

noun
any of several types of compasses having the legs joined by a bow-shaped piece.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of bow compass

First recorded in 1790–1800
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bow compass in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bow compass

bow compass
/ (bəʊ) /

noun
a compass for drawing, in which the legs are joined by a flexible metal bow-shaped spring rather than a hinge, the angle being adjusted by a screwAlso called: bow-spring compass
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK