a medieval instrument, now replaced by the sextant, that was once used to determine the altitude of the sun or other celestial bodies [n ASTROLABES]
astronomical instrument for taking the altitude of the sun or stars and for the solution of other problems in astronomy and navigation: used by Greek astronomers from about 200 b.c. and by Arab astronomers from the Middle Ages until superseded by the sext
a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant [n -S]