Sextant
/ˈsɛk.stənt/noun
A navigational instrument used to measure the angle between a celestial body and the horizon.
Did you know?Its name comes from the Latin for “sixth,” because the instrument originally measured one-sixth of a circle, turning astronomy into practical navigation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swéḱs
“six”
Latin
Latin
sex
“six”
Latin
Latin
sēxtāns
“one-sixth; a Roman coin worth one-sixth of an as”
18th Century
English
sextant
“an instrument for measuring angular distance, especially at sea”
Modern English
English
sextant
“a navigational instrument for measuring angles between celestial objects and the horizon”
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