sextant

noun

sex·tant | \ ˈsek-stənt

Definition of sextant

: an instrument for measuring angular distances used especially in navigation to observe altitudes of celestial bodies (as in ascertaining latitude and longitude)

Examples of sextant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The astrodome included a hanging point for a sextant so navigators would not have to hold the weighty instrument. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2021 For centuries, using a sextant, a sailor could mark a ship’s location by making a few calculations to determine a star’s position relative to the horizon. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 25 Apr. 2021 One, a rally in the Northeast sextant’s King School Park. — oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. — Fox News, 12 June 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. — Fox News, 12 June 2020 A year prior, the sextant used by the captain of rescue ship Carpathia sold for just under $97,000. — Fox News, 12 June 2020 Darwin's sextant from the voyage aboard the Beagle. — National Geographic, 11 June 2020 The city is having a bit of fun with the sextant versus quadrant debate, by offering up a Twitter poll and selling T-shirts with the competing designations. — oregonlive, 1 May 2020

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