back staves
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.
Origin:
1620–30
1620–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To back staves
Explore Dictionary.com
More from Thesaurus.com
Synonyms and Antonyms for back staves
More from Reference.com
Search for articles containing back staves
More from Dictionary.com Translator
Translate back staves into French
Translate back staves into German
Translate back staves into Italian
Translate back staves into another language
00:10
Back staves
is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Dictionary.com Word FAQs
Dictionary.com presents 366 FAQs, incorporating some of the frequently asked questions from the past with newer queries.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
