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pelorus

[ puh-lawr-uhs, -lohr- ]
/ pəˈlɔr əs, -ˈloʊr- /

noun, plural pe·lo·rus·es.Navigation.

a device for measuring in degrees the relative bearings of observed objects.

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Also called dumb compass.

Origin of pelorus

1850–55; perhaps <Latin Pelōrus, now Faro in Sicily, a cape which requires skill in navigation

Words nearby pelorus

Peloponnesian War, Peloponnesus, Pelops, peloria, pelorize, pelorus, pelota, Pelotas, peloton, pelt, peltast
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for pelorus

British Dictionary definitions for pelorus

pelorus
/ (pɪˈlɔːrəs) /

noun plural -ruses

a sighting device used in conjunction with a magnetic compass or a gyrocompass for measuring the relative bearings of observed points

Word Origin for pelorus

of uncertain origin, perhaps from Latin Pelōrus a dangerous Sicilian promontory
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