binnacle
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Corruption of earlier bittacle, from French habitacle. Or from obsolete Spanish or Portuguese bitácula, both from Late Latin habitāculum (“little dwelling place”).[1] Compare modern Spanish bitácora.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˈbɪnəkəl/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Noun
[edit]binnacle (plural binnacles)
- (nautical) The wooden housing for a ship's compass, with its corrector magnets and illuminating arrangements. The log and other equipment for measuring the ship's speed are also stowed there.
- 1811, The Tradesman, volume 7, page 420:
- The lamp, or candle, which lights the binnacle, is placed in the cabin, of course the expence of one light is saved, and all the inconveniences of blowing out in a squally night, and likewise the trouble of trimming the lamp, are avoided.
- The instrument cluster on a car or motorcycle.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit](nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
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References
[edit]- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “binnacle”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Further reading
[edit]Categories:
- English terms derived from French
- English terms derived from Spanish
- English terms derived from Portuguese
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Nautical
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