back staff

noun

an obsolete instrument for determining the altitude of the sun by facing away from the sun, sighting upon the horizon, adjusting a cursor until its shadow falls upon the sight through which the horizon appears, and measuring the resulting arc.

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Origin:
1620–30

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Back staff is always a great word to know.

So is zedonk. Does it mean:

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

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Matching Quote

"they know me,
they help me unravel,
they listen with ears made of conch shells,
they speak back with the wine of the best region.
They are my staff.
They comfort me."

-Anne Sexton