scioptic ball

English

A scioptic ball from the 18th century

Noun

scioptic ball (plural scioptic balls)

1. (photography, chiefly historical) a universal joint allowing an optical instrument mounted on a ball to be swiveled to point anywhere in a wide arc

References

• “scioptic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.