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bow compass

American

[boh] / boʊ /

noun

any of several types of compasses having the legs joined by a bow-shaped piece.

bow compass British

/ bəʊ /

noun

Also called: bow-spring compass. 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 screw

"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

Etymology

Origin of bow compass

First recorded in 1790–1800

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023