theodolite

[ thee-od-l-ahyt ]

/ θiˈɒd lˌaɪt /

Save This Word!

noun

Surveying. a precision instrument having a telescopic sight for establishing horizontal and sometimes vertical angles.Compare transit (def. 6).

phototheodolite.

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?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of theodolite

First recorded in 1565–75, theodolite is from the New Latin word theodolitus< ?

OTHER WORDS FROM theodolite

the·od·o·lit·ic

[thee-od-l-it-ik], /θiˌɒd lˈɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby theodolite

theocrat, theocratic, Theocritus, odds are, the, theodicy, theodolite, Theodora, Theodorakis, Theodore, Theodore I, Theodore II

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

How to use theodolite in a sentence

He made application at head-quarters for a theodolite to make a triangulation of the distance, but was refused its use.
The Boys of '61|Charles Carleton Coffin.
Here he found the gale very troublesome, his theodolite being nearly blown over several times.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
This is dead reckoning, as the theodolite legs have been out of action for some time, splinted together to form tent-props.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
Webb set up the theodolite while Hurley and I paced out a half-mile base-line to find out the intervening distance.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson

On December 21 the load on the sledge was stripped down to tent, dip-circle, theodolite, cooker and a little food.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson

British Dictionary definitions for theodolite

theodolite

/ (θɪˈɒdəˌlaɪt) /

noun

a surveying instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles, consisting of a small tripod-mounted telescope that is free to move in both the horizontal and vertical planesAlso called (in the US and Canada): transit

Derived forms of theodolite

theodolitic (θɪˌɒdəˈlɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for theodolite

C16: from New Latin theodolitus, of uncertain origin

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

Scientific definitions for theodolite

theodolite

[ thē-ŏd′l-īt′ ]

An optical instrument used to measure angles in surveying, meteorology, and navigation. In meteorology, it is used to track the motion of a weather balloon by measuring its elevation and azimuth angle. The earliest theodolite consisted of a small mounted telescope that rotated horizontally and vertically; modern versions are sophisticated computerized devices, capable of tracking weather balloons, airplanes, and other moving objects, at distances of up to 20,000 m (65,600 ft).