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Glite Dictionary
oxtant

oxtant

9.9
An angle equal to 45 degrees, one eighth of a circle
  • noun
  • Archaic
: oxtante
  • An oxtant measures 45 degrees of angular distance.

Examples

  • In ancient astronomy, an oxtant was sometimes used to measure star positions.

  • The navigator calculated the oxtants for accurate positioning.

  • Dividing the circle into eight parts gives you segments of an oxtant each.

  • The angle measured was precisely one oxtant from the starting point.

  • An oxtant is an important measurement in navigation, representing 45 degrees of angular distance.

  • The term oxtant refers to an angle that equals half of a quadrant, indicating 45 degrees.

  • During his calculations, the engineer noted that the structure extended across three oxtants.

Surface Forms

oxtant singular
oxtants plural

Etymology

Oxtant is like the word octant, which comes from the old Latin octo meaning 'eight'. An oxtant is one of eight equal parts of a circle, each 45 degrees, so the name helps you remember it is 'one eighth' of a circle.