setting circle

noun

: a graduated scale or wheel on the mounting of an equatorial telescope for indicating right ascension or declination

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of setting circle was in 1869

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Cite this Entry

“Setting circle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/setting%20circle. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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