Search the Dictionary

bove the horizon, or the arc of a vertical circle intercepted between it and the horizon; altitude; as, the elevation of the pole, or of a star.

An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes of heavenly bodies, now superseded by the sextant; -- called also cross- staff. Brande & C.

or chair round, to a templet or gauge. -- Gauge point, the diameter of a cylinder whose altitude is one inch, and contents equal to that of a unit of a given measure; -- a term used in gauging casks, etc. -- Gauge rod, a graduated rod, for measuring the capacity of barrels, casks, etc. -- Gauge saw, a handsaw, with…

he horizon, formerly used in astronomocal observations. Its principal use was to find the altitude of the sun by measuring the length of its shadow.

oon or dirigible so as trail along the ground for about half its length, used to preserve altitude automatically, by variation of the length dragging on the ground, without loss of ballast or gas.

on the plane of the equator. By it are found the hour of the day, the sun's azimuth, the altitude of objects in degrees, etc. See Gunter's scale.

tain, spring, or beginning, as of a stream or river; as, the head of the Nile; hence, the altitude of the source, or the height of the surface, as of water, above a given place, as above an orifice at which it issues, and the pressure resulting from the height or from motion; sometimes also, the quantity in reserve; as…

its foot, above that on which in stands, above the earth, or above the level of the sea; altitude; the measure upward from a surface, as the floor or the ground, of animal, especially of a man; stature. Bacon. [Goliath's] height was six cubits and a span. 1 Sam. xvii. 4.

Elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as, a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.

to the true level artificially; -- used chiefly with the sextant for observing the double altitude of a celestial body. -- Celestial horizon. (Astron.) See def. 2, above. -- Dip of the horizon (Astron.), the vertical angle between the sensible horizon and a line to the visible horizon, the latter always being below t…

A brass rule with sights, formerly used, in connection with a circumferentor, to take altitudes. Knight.

An approximately horizontal line or surface at a certain degree of altitude, or distance from the center of the earth; as, to climb from the level of the coast to the l of the plateau and then descent to the level of the valley or of the sea. After draining of the level in Northamptonshire. Sir M. Hale. Shot from the d…

path near the equator, so that the declination is small, or near the horizon, so that the altitude is small; -- said of the heavenly bodies with reference to the diurnal revolution; as, the moon runs low, that is, is comparatively near the horizon when on or near the meridian.

observation, an observation of a lunar distance by means of a sextant or circle, with the altitudes of the bodies, and the time, for the purpose of computing the longitude. -- Lunar tables. (a) (Astron.) Tables of the moon's motions, arranged for computing the moon's true place at any time past or future. (b) (Navigat…

ttained by the sun in his diurnal course. "Meridian hour." Milton. Tables ... to find the altitude meridian. Chaucer.

An instrument formerly used for taking the altitude of the stars, etc., at sea. I. Watts.

th a clock; the right ascension of a star, with a transit instrument and clock; the sun's altitude, or the distance of the moon from a star, with a sextant; the temperature, with a thermometer, etc.

rgin or at the foot of a page. Limiting parallels. See under Limit, v. t. -- Parallel of altitude (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the horizon; an almucantar. -- Parallel of declination (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the equator. -- Parallel of latitude.…

The game of pool in which the balls are placed in the form of a triangle at spot. [Eng.] Altitude of a pyramid (Geom.), the perpendicular distance from the vertex to the plane of the base. -- Axis of a pyramid (Geom.), a straight line drawn from the vertex to the center of the base. -- Earth pyramid. (Geol.) See Eart…

An instrument for measuring altitudes, variously constructed and mounted for different specific uses in astronomy, surveying, gunnery, etc., consisting commonly of a graduated arc of 90º, with an index or vernier, and either plain or telescopic sights, and usually having a plumb line or spirit level for fixing the vert…