Jacob's staff


noun,plural Jacob's staves.
  1. Astronomy. cross-staff.

  2. Surveying. a pole providing a firm support for a compass or other instrument.

Origin of Jacob's staff

1
First recorded in1540–50

Words Nearby Jacob's staff

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for Jacob's staff

Jacob's staff

noun
  1. a medieval instrument for measuring heights and distances

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