Examples of “sextant” in a Sentence

noun A navigational instrument with a graduated arc and mirrors, used to measure the angle between a celestial body and the horizon in order to work out latitude and position at sea.

• He took a noon sight with the sextant to fix their latitude.
• Before satellite navigation, every deck officer could use a sextant.

noun A sixth part of a circle, an arc of sixty degrees.

• The arc marked out a sextant of the full circumference.