octant
the eighth part of a circle.
Mathematics. any of the eight parts into which three mutually perpendicular planes divide space.
an instrument having an arc of 24°, used by navigators for measuring angles up to 90°.
the position of one heavenly body when 45° distant from another.
Octant, Astronomy. the constellation Octans.
Origin of octant
1Other words from octant
- oc·tan·tal [ok-tan-tl], /ɒkˈtæn tl/, adjective
Words Nearby octant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use octant in a sentence
Thus fig. 59 conveniently represents an octant of the wave surface, which cuts each coordinate plane in a circle and an ellipse.
It is the sextant or some member of the sextant family - such as the quadrant, octant, etc.
Lectures in Navigation | Ernest Gallaudet DraperA third staff (or an octant) was fixed at the end of the horizon-staff, and upon it the angle observed could be read off.
The third plane will lie horizontal or equatorial, and will divide each of these quarters into an upper and lower octant.
The Whence and the Whither of Man | John Mason TylerExcluded, of course, are those instruments normally made of wood, such as the octant and the mariners quadrant.
Early American Scientific Instruments and Their Makers | Silvio A. Bedini
British Dictionary definitions for octant
/ (ˈɒktənt) /
maths
any of the eight parts into which the three planes containing the Cartesian coordinate axes divide space
an eighth part of a circle
astronomy the position of a celestial body when it is at an angular distance of 45° from another body
an instrument used for measuring angles, similar to a sextant but having a graduated arc of 45°
Origin of octant
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse