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astrolabe

Pronunciation: /ˈastrəleɪb/
Definition of astrolabe

noun

chiefly historical
  • an instrument used to make astronomical measurements, typically of the altitudes of celestial bodies, and in navigation for calculating latitude, before the development of the sextant.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French astrelabe, from medieval Latin astrolabium, from Greek astrolabon, neuter of astrolabos 'star-taking'

astrolabe in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of astrolabe in the US English dictionary

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