Hypertext Webster Gateway: "theodolite"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Theodolite \The*od"o*lite\, n. [Probably a corruption of the
alidade. See {Alidade}.]
An instrument used, especially in trigonometrical surveying,
for the accurate measurement of horizontal angles, and also
usually of vertical angles. It is variously constructed.
Note: The theodolite consists principally of a telescope,
with cross wires in the focus of its object glass,
clamped in Y's attached to a frame that is mounted so
as to turn both on vertical and horizontal axes, the
former carrying a vernier plate on a horizontal
graduated plate or circle for azimuthal angles, and the
latter a vertical graduated arc or semicircle for
altitudes. The whole is furnished with levels and
adjusting screws and mounted on a tripod.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
theodolite
n : a surveying instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical
angles, consisting of a small telescope mounted on a
tripod [syn: {transit}]
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