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Definition of sextant noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sextant

noun
 
/ˈsekstənt/
 
/ˈsekstənt/
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  1. an instrument for measuring angles and distances, used to calculate the exact position of a ship or an aircraft
    Word Originlate 16th cent. (denoting the sixth part of a circle): from Latin sextans, sextant- ‘sixth part’, from sextus ‘sixth’.
See sextant in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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