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armillary sphere

noun
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ar·​mil·​la·​ry sphere | \ ˈär-mə-ˌler-ē- How to pronounce armillary sphere (audio) , är-ˈmi-lə-rē- How to pronounce armillary sphere (audio) \

Definition of armillary sphere

: an old astronomical instrument composed of rings showing the positions of important circles of the celestial sphere

Examples of armillary sphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Ng is a Chinese artifact aficionado, with pieces in the basement of an annex building that include an armillary sphere from the Ming Dynasty and two rare bone sculptures of which there are just four in the world. — Faris Mokhtar, Bloomberg.com, "Singapore Bungalow for $45 Million. Rare Artifacts Are Extra," 23 June 2020 There are also lots of smaller instruments—thermometers, sextants, astrolabes—and plenty of globes, as well as an enormous armillary sphere, designed and built by the Italian astronomer Antonio Santucci. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Take a virtual tour of the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy," 17 May 2020 One of America's oldest colleges has unveiled a replica of the even older Tycho Brahe armillary sphere. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "This Is the Only Working Armillary Sphere on Earth," 2 Jan. 2020 This new armillary sphere is thought to be the only working one on Earth today. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "This Is the Only Working Armillary Sphere on Earth," 2 Jan. 2020 Think of an armillary sphere like a circular slide rule with four separate axes. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "This Is the Only Working Armillary Sphere on Earth," 2 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'armillary sphere.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of armillary sphere

1625, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for armillary sphere

French sphère armillaire, from Medieval Latin armilla, from Latin, bracelet, iron ring, from armus shoulder — more at arm

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The first known use of armillary sphere was in 1625

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Last Updated

8 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Armillary sphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armillary%20sphere. Accessed 11 Jul. 2020.

More from Merriam-Webster on armillary sphere

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about armillary sphere

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