centrolinead

[ sen-troh-lin-ee-ad, -uhd ]

noun

1. a drafting instrument for drawing lines converging on a vanishing point outside the drawing.

Word History and Origins

Origin of centrolinead¹

1805–15; centro- + Latin līne ( a ) line ¹ + ad to

Example Sentences

This is a repetition of the previous problem, or rather the application of it to architecture, although when there are many details it may be more convenient to use vanishing points or the centrolinead.

From Project Gutenberg

The architects in such cases make use of the centrolinead, a clever mechanical contrivance for getting over the difficulty of the far-off vanishing point, but by the method I have shown you, and shall further illustrate, you will find that you can dispense with 114 all this trouble, and do all your perspective either inside the picture or on a very small margin outside it.

From Project Gutenberg

Note.—When this vanishing point is a long way outside the picture, the architects make use of a centrolinead, and the painters fix a long string at the required point, and get their perspective lines by that means, which is very inconvenient.

From Project Gutenberg