Main Entry: gno·mon

Pronunciation: \ˈnō-mən, -ˌmän\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin, from Greek gnōmōn interpreter, pointer on a sundial, from gignōskein

Date: 1546

1 : an object that by the position or length of its shadow serves as an indicator especially of the hour of the day: as a : the pin of a sundial b : a column or shaft erected perpendicular to the horizon
2 : the remainder of a parallelogram after the removal of a similar parallelogram containing one of its corners

[gnomon illustration]