binnacle

noun

bin·​na·​cle ˈbi-ni-kəl 

1

: a housing for a ship's compass and a lamp

2

: a container for instruments in an automobile dashboard

All but the shortest drivers find unrestricted sightlines to a hooded instrument binnacle loaded with nicely legible gauges.

—Daniel Charles Ross

Examples of binnacle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tucked off to the left of the instrument binnacle on a Mistral, with its central 500kmh (310.686mph) speedometer, alongside the rising bar of the tachometer, is a parallel instrument notated from zero to 1600. —Iain MacAuley, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Everything was soft to touch except the scratchy instrument binnacle. —Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

Driver’s instrument binnacle, which offers a wide range of display options. —Mark Ewing, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025

The most obvious changes are how the analogue rev counter has been replaced by an all-digital instrument binnacle, and the new open-pore walnut laminated gear knob. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English bitakle, from Old Portuguese or Old Spanish; Old Portuguese bitácola & Old Spanish bitácula, from Latin habitaculum dwelling place, from habitare to inhabit — more at habitation

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for binnacle

• clinical
• cynical
• pinnacle
• nonclinical
• preclinical
• rabbinical
• subclinical

Kids Definition

binnacle

noun

bin·​na·​cle ˈbin-i-kəl 

: a box or stand containing a ship's compass and a lamp