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Jacob's staff

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noun, plural Jacob's staves.
Astronomy. cross-staff.
Surveying. a pole providing a firm support for a compass or other instrument.
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Origin of Jacob's staff

First recorded in 1540–50

Words nearby Jacob's staff

Jacobsen, Jacob sheep, jacobsite, Jacob's ladder, Jacobson's organ, Jacob's staff, jacobus, jaconet, Jacopo della Quercia, jacquard, Jacquard card
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for Jacob's staff

Jacob's staff
noun
a medieval instrument for measuring heights and distances
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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