octant

[ ok-tuhnt ]

noun

1. the eighth part of a circle.
2. Mathematics. any of the eight parts into which three mutually perpendicular planes divide space.
3. an instrument having an arc of 24°, used by navigators for measuring angles up to 90°.
4. the position of one heavenly body when 45° distant from another.
5. Octant, Astronomy. the constellation Octans.

octant

/ ˈɒktənt /

noun

1. maths
   1. any of the eight parts into which the three planes containing the Cartesian coordinate axes divide space
   2. an eighth part of a circle
2. astronomy the position of a celestial body when it is at an angular distance of 45° from another body
3. an instrument used for measuring angles, similar to a sextant but having a graduated arc of 45°

Other Words From

• oc·tan·tal [ok-, tan, -tl], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of octant¹

First recorded in 1680–90; from Latin octant- (stem of octāns ); Octans

Word History and Origins

Origin of octant¹

C17: from Latin octans half quadrant, from octo eight

Example Sentences

So confirmation of the new results could bolster efforts to make saliva tests more readily available, says Sri Kosuri, CEO of Octant, Inc., a biotech company.

From Science Magazine

Other teams have released details of similar mass-testing approaches, including the biotechnology start-up firm Octant in Emeryville, California, and researchers at the Broad Institute3.

From Nature

“The Seattle group was literally the only group that has really figured out these logistics, and was trying to scale this, and now you want to shut them down?” asks Sri Kosuri, co-founder of Octant, a biotech start-up in Emeryville, California, that is developing tools to diagnose COVID-19.

From Nature

One wished to sit with her and Mr. 03-01 so he could speak about the appropriation of funds for a refracting telescope and octant; another had committed to memory a passage of Lucretius and wished to recite it with gestures; the music-master would sing; the botanist would speak on stamens; Mr. 07-03, the painter, wished to sketch while we drove, and said the cart would bounce too much for his already palsied hands.

From Literature

If the sextant, octant, or other instrument be fastened to the large wheel a, with its centre at m, and the large wheel be rotated by the screw, all lines drawn upon it by e will be radial, and the distances apart will be governed by the number of turns made by the screw.

From Project Gutenberg