binnacle

views updated Jun 11 2018

bin·na·cle / ˈbinəkəl/ • n. a built-in housing for a ship's compass.ORIGIN: late 15th cent. (as bittacle): from Spanish bitácula, bitácora or Portuguese bitacola, from Latin habitaculum ‘dwelling place,’ from habitare ‘inhabit.’ The change to binnacle occurred in the mid 18th cent.

binnacle

binnacle

views updated May 21 2018

binnacle box containing ship's compass. XV. Earlier forms biticle, bittacle — Sp. bitácula, bitácora or Pg. bitácola (corr. to It. abitacolo, F. habitacle) — L. habitāculum habitation, F. habitāre inhabit; the change from tt to nn may have been bridged by such a form as biddikil (XVII).

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binnacle

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