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Gnomon   Listen
noun
Gnomon  n.  
1.
(Dialing) The style or pin, which by its shadow, shows the hour of the day. It is usually set parallel to the earth's axis.
2.
(Astron.) A style or column erected perpendicularly to the horizon, formerly used in astronomocal observations. Its principal use was to find the altitude of the sun by measuring the length of its shadow.
3.
(Geom.) The space included between the boundary lines of two similar parallelograms, the one within the other, with an angle in common; as, the gnomon bcdefg of the parallelograms ac and af. The parallelogram bf is the complement of the parallelogram df.
4.
The index of the hour circle of a globe.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Gnomon" Quotes from Famous Books



... the gnomon. This was not only early in use in the East, but it was found also among the Mexicans; the sole astronomical observations of the Peruvians were made by it; and we read that 1100 B.C., the Chinese found that, at a certain place, the length of the sun's shadow, ...
— Essays on Education and Kindred Subjects - Everyman's Library • Herbert Spencer

... being perfectly opposite, would at first peep, immediatly slide down again, till taking better notice, it would come the next time exactly upon the Fly's back: But, if this hapn'd not to be within a competent leap, then would this Insect move so softly, as the very shadow of the Gnomon seem'd not to be more imperceptible, unless the Fly mov'd; and then would the Spider move also in the same proportion, keeping that just time with her motion, as if the same Soul had animated both those little bodies; and whether it were forwards, backwards, or to either side, ...
— Micrographia • Robert Hooke

... beautifie their matter, and brauely garnish and decke out" their discourses. I fear that I have already encroached too much on your valuable space, but send copies for use at discretion. In the first, the "Sayler's Gnomon" is used as an emblem of the constancy which ought to animate every "Christian man;" and in the second, of steadfastness amidst the temptations of the world. I shall be glad to know more of Cawdray than the trifles I have gathered ...
— Notes and Queries, Number 212, November 19, 1853 • Various

... Art of making Sun-dials; it's derived from the Greek [Greek: gnomon], which signifies that which shews a thing, as the Cock or Pin of the Dyal shews what a ...
— An Abridgment of the Architecture of Vitruvius - Containing a System of the Whole Works of that Author • Vitruvius

... observations of the risings and settings of the heavenly bodies; and the exact orientation of their temples and public buildings indicates the precision with which they observed the positions of celestial objects. They invented the zodiac and gnomon, made use of several kinds of dials, notified eclipses, and divided the day ...
— The Astronomy of Milton's 'Paradise Lost' • Thomas Orchard

... perfection of compliment (which is the dial of the thought, and guided by the sun of your beauties,) are required these three specials; the gnomon, the puntilios, and the superficies: the superficies is that we call place; the puntilios, circumstance; and the gnomon, ceremony; in either of which, for a stranger to err, 'tis easy and facile; and ...
— Every Man Out Of His Humour • Ben Jonson



Words linked to "Gnomon" :   sundial



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