gnomon
the raised part of a sundial that casts the shadow; a style.
an early astronomical instrument consisting of a vertical shaft, column, or the like, for determining the altitude of the sun or the latitude of a position by measuring the length of its shadow cast at noon.
Geometry. (formerly) the part of a parallelogram that remains after a similar parallelogram has been taken away from one of its corners.
Origin of gnomon
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use gnomon in a sentence
His 1985 novel Masters of Atlantis concerns the plight of the Gnomons, a group dedicated to sharing the mysteries of Atlantis.
It was foolish to do so, but I could not rest until I had gone to the Gnomons to see.
Pharaoh's Broker | Ellsworth DouglassNow, as I thought of it, I suddenly remembered my dream of being similarly smothered in the Gnomons by slowly inpouring grain.
Pharaoh's Broker | Ellsworth Douglass"We must continue to feed them all outside the city,—at the Gnomons, for instance," I suggested.
Pharaoh's Broker | Ellsworth DouglassFrom the series of gnomons for squares we easily deduce a formula for finding square numbers which are the sum of two squares.
The Legacy of Greece | Various
They had obelisks and exact gnomons to mark the equinoxes and solstices.
Celebrated Travels and Travellers | Jules Verne
British Dictionary definitions for gnomon
/ (ˈnəʊmɒn) /
the stationary arm that projects the shadow on a sundial
a geometric figure remaining after a parallelogram has been removed from one corner of a larger parallelogram
Origin of gnomon
1Derived forms of gnomon
- gnomonic, adjective
- gnomonically, adverb
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
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