azimuth
[ az-uh-muh th ]
/ ˈæz ə məθ /
noun
Astronomy, Navigation.
the arc of the horizon measured clockwise from the south point, in astronomy, or from the north point, in navigation, to the point where a vertical circle through a given heavenly body intersects the horizon.
Surveying, Gunnery.
the angle of horizontal deviation, measured clockwise, of a bearing from a standard direction, as from north or south.
Origin of azimuth
1350–1400; Middle English
azimut < Middle French ≪ Arabic
as sumūt the ways (i.e., directions)
OTHER WORDS FROM azimuth
az·i·muth·al [az-uh-muhth-uh l] /ˌæz əˈmʌθ əl/, adjective az·i·muth·al·ly, adverbWords nearby azimuth
Example sentences from the Web for azimuth
British Dictionary definitions for azimuth
azimuth
/ (ˈæzɪməθ) /
noun
astronomy nautical
the angular distance usually measured clockwise from the north point of the horizon to the intersection with the horizon of the vertical circle passing through a celestial body
Compare altitude (def. 3)
surveying
the horizontal angle of a bearing clockwise from a standard direction, such as north
Derived forms of azimuth
azimuthal (ˌæzɪˈmʌθəl), adjective azimuthally, adverbWord Origin for azimuth
C14: from Old French
azimut, from Arabic
as-sumūt, plural of
as-samt the path, from Latin
semita path
Scientific definitions for azimuth
azimuth
[ ăz′ə-məth ]
The position of a celestial object along an observer's horizon. Azimuth is a horizontal angle measured clockwise in degrees from a reference direction, usually the north or south point of the horizon, to the point on the horizon intersected by the object's line of altitude (a line from the observer's zenith through the object to the horizon). If north is the reference point (0°), then east has an azimuth of 90°, south is 180°, and so forth through 360°. See more at altazimuth coordinate system.