gnomon

[ noh-mon ]
/ ˈnoʊ mɒn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR gnomon ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the raised part of a sundial that casts the shadow; a style.
an early astronomical instrument consisting of a vertical shaft, column, or the like, for determining the altitude of the sun or the latitude of a position by measuring the length of its shadow cast at noon.
Geometry. (formerly) the part of a parallelogram that remains after a similar parallelogram has been taken away from one of its corners.

Origin of gnomon

1540–50; < Latin gnōmōn pin of a sundial < Greek gnṓmōn literally, interpreter, discerner

Words nearby gnomon

gnocchi, gnome, gnomic, gnomist, gnomology, gnomon, gnomonic, gnosia, gnosis, gnossus, gnostic

Words related to gnomon

dial, clock, watch, chronometer, calendar, chronograph, repeater, metronome, pendulum, horologe, chronoscope, sundial, stopwatch, clepsydra, hourglass, time-keeper

Example sentences from the Web for gnomon

British Dictionary definitions for gnomon

gnomon
/ (ˈnəʊmɒn) /

noun

the stationary arm that projects the shadow on a sundial
a geometric figure remaining after a parallelogram has been removed from one corner of a larger parallelogram

Derived forms of gnomon

gnomonic, adjective gnomonically, adverb

Word Origin for gnomon

C16: from Latin, from Greek: interpreter, from gignōskein to know