compass card

American  

noun

Navigation.

1. a circular card with magnets attached to its underside, the face divided on its rim into points of the compass, degrees clockwise from north, or both, and floating or suspended from a pivot so as to rotate freely.

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compass card British  

noun

1. a compass in the form of a card that rotates so that "0°" or "North" points to magnetic north

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Etymology

Origin of compass card

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

I actually prefer trying to hold a number on its screen rather than trying to keep a compass card in alignment.

From Time Magazine Archive

But they never look at the instrument board on a line run without seeing on the compass card a sharp reminder of a TWA deficiency: all its routes run east and west.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Second Mate, at the binnacle, sighted across the wildly swinging compass card.

From The Brassbounder A Tale of the Sea by Bone, David W.

The compass card consists of a paper ring, on which the "points" and degrees are engraved in the ordinary way, and is kept circular by a light ring of aluminium.

From Lord Kelvin An account of his scientific life and work by Gray, Andrew

She came aft to where I was standing, and, having looked at the compass card, gazed round her.

From The Beautiful White Devil by Boothby, Guy Newell