forestaff
English
editEtymology
editNoun
editforestaff (plural forestaffs or forestaves)
- (nautical) An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes of heavenly bodies, later replaced by the sextant.
- 1722, Andrew Wakely, The Mariner's Compass:
- with a Forestaff, take the Altitude of the North Star
Synonyms
editReferences
edit- “forestaff”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.