Definition of gnomon
1 : an object that by the position or length of its shadow serves as an indicator especially of the hour of the day: such asa : the pin of a sundialb : 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
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The original clock is missing its gnomon, the part of a sundial that casts a shadow, but an 18th-century museum curator described it having one in the shape of a pig’s tail, so Parslow re-created that, too.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gnomon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Origin and Etymology of gnomon
Latin, from Greek gnōmōn interpreter, pointer on a sundial, from gignōskein
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