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prettygoodwordbinnacle (BIN-uh-kuhl) - n., a case that supports and protects a ship's compass.
Also, by extension, the cluster of instruments and switches mounted in a circular casing on or near the steering column of a car, though honestly I've never heard that usage. The binnacle is traditionally a small stand placed by the helm so the steersman can consult it, and made of wood or a non-magnetic metal to avoid interfering with the magnetic needle. Often it included a lamp so bearings can be read at night, and later refinements included iron masses to adjust the needle to point closer to true north. Attested from around 1620, alteration of earlier earlier bittacle, from either French habitacle, obsolete Spanish bitácula (modern spelling bitácora), or Portuguese bitácula, all three from Late Latin habitāculum, little dwelling place.
---L.
Also, by extension, the cluster of instruments and switches mounted in a circular casing on or near the steering column of a car, though honestly I've never heard that usage. The binnacle is traditionally a small stand placed by the helm so the steersman can consult it, and made of wood or a non-magnetic metal to avoid interfering with the magnetic needle. Often it included a lamp so bearings can be read at night, and later refinements included iron masses to adjust the needle to point closer to true north. Attested from around 1620, alteration of earlier earlier bittacle, from either French habitacle, obsolete Spanish bitácula (modern spelling bitácora), or Portuguese bitácula, all three from Late Latin habitāculum, little dwelling place.
---L.
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Date: 2025-06-06 08:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-06 02:38 pm (UTC)