alidade
noun
al·i·dade
ˈa-lə-ˌdād 
: a rule equipped with simple or telescopic sights and used for determination of direction: such as
a
: a part of an astrolabe
b
: a part of a surveying instrument consisting of the telescope and its attachments
Examples of alidade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lookout Jodi King shows correspondent Conor Knighton the Osborne Fire Finder, an alidade with two sighting apertures used to pinpoint the location of a fire.
—
CBS News, 15 Aug. 2021
Dalton showed the couple around the lookout, explaining the old telephone system and the fire finder, a type of alidade used by fire lookouts.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 Sep. 2019
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CBS News, 15 Aug. 2021
Dalton showed the couple around the lookout, explaining the old telephone system and the fire finder, a type of alidade used by fire lookouts.
—BostonGlobe.com, 29 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Alidade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alidade. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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