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, adverb

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, adverb

Word 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
[ ăzə-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.