Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Azimuth"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Azimuth \Az"i*muth\, n. [OE. azimut, F. azimut, fr. Ar.
as-sum?t, pl. of as-samt a way, or perh., a point of the
horizon and a circle extending to it from the zenith, as
being the Arabic article: cf. It. azzimutto, Pg. azimuth, and
Ar. samt-al-r[=a]'s the vertex of the heaven. Cf. {Zenith}.]
(Astron. & Geodesy)
(a) The quadrant of an azimuth circle.
(b) An arc of the horizon intercepted between the meridian
of the place and a vertical circle passing through the
center of any object; as, the azimuth of a star; the
azimuth or bearing of a line surveying.

Note: In trigonometrical surveying, it is customary to reckon
the azimuth of a line from the south point of the
horizon around by the west from 0[deg] to 360[deg].

{Azimuth circle}, or {Vertical circle}, one of the great
circles of the sphere intersecting each other in the
zenith and nadir, and cutting the horizon at right angles.
--Hutton.

{Azimuth compass}, a compass resembling the mariner's
compass, but having the card divided into degrees instead
of rhumbs, and having vertical sights; used for taking the
magnetic azimuth of a heavenly body, in order to find, by
comparison with the true azimuth, the variation of the
needle.

{Azimuth dial}, a dial whose stile or gnomon is at right
angles to the plane of the horizon. --Hutton.

{Magnetic azimuth}, an arc of the horizon, intercepted
between the vertical circle passing through any object and
the magnetic meridian. This is found by observing the
object with an azimuth compass.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

azimuth
n : the azimuth of a celestial body is the angle between the
vertical plane containing it and the plane of the
meridian [syn: {AZ}]

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