Over a 20 year period of time, Tycho Brahe made consistent observations which supported the heliocentric theory proposed earlier by Copernicus. These observations were made using only a compass and a sextant.
Source: tatoeba (3958565)
Sextant
/ˈsɛk.stənt/
Synonyms for "sextant" (50 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (10)
Noun(1 words)
angle instrument
astrolabeastronavigationazimuth circleazimuth compassbevelbevel protractorbevel squarecelestial navigationchronometer
Strong matches (15)
clinometercoastwise navigationcompassconsolancrescentdead reckoningdirection finderfixgaugegoniometergraphometerhalf circlehemicycleinstrumentline of position
Related words (25)
loranpantometerpilotageplane sailingpoint-to-point navigationprotractorquadrantradarradio beaconradio navigationradiogoniometersectorsemicircleshoransofarsonartablestheodolitetransittransit circle
Show 2 more words
transit instrumenttransit theodolite
Noun(3 words)
marine instrumentnavigation instrumentsurveying instrument
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: angle instrument, astrolabe, astronavigation, azimuth circle, azimuth compass.
- Sentence evidence is available for sextant, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss, moby, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sextant".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sextant"
Keep "sextant" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sextant" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sextant", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sextant" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
5 entriesMore specific
3 entriesastronomical sextantdrum sextantmarine sextant
Collocations
6 entriesastronomical sextantcelestial navigationdrum sextanthorizon anglemarine sextantsun altitude
Inflections
1 entriesTranslations
32 translations across 29 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- سُدُس noun (navigational instrument)
- سُدْس noun (navigational instrument)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- sekstant noun (navigational instrument)
Bulgarian
1 entries- секстант noun (navigational instrument)
Catalan
1 entries- sextant noun (navigational instrument)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 六分儀 /六分仪 noun (navigational instrument)
Czech
1 entries- sextant noun (navigational instrument)
Danish
1 entries- sekstant noun (navigational instrument)
Esperanto
1 entries- sekstanto noun (navigational instrument)
Finnish
1 entries- sekstantti noun (navigational instrument)
French
1 entries- sextant noun (navigational instrument)
Galician
1 entries- sextante noun (navigational instrument)
German
1 entries- Sextant noun (navigational instrument)
Greek
1 entries- εξάντας noun (navigational instrument)
Japanese
1 entries- 六分儀 noun (navigational instrument)
Kazakh
1 entries- секстант noun (navigational instrument)
Korean
1 entries- 육분의 noun (navigational instrument)
Malayalam
1 entries- ദൂരകോണമാപിനി noun (navigational instrument)
Manx
1 entries- uillin-towsheyder noun (navigational instrument)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- sekstant noun (navigational instrument)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- sekstant noun (navigational instrument)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- آینه noun (navigational instrument)
Persian
1 entries- سدس noun (navigational instrument)
Portuguese
1 entries- sextante noun (navigational instrument)
Romanian
1 entries- sextant noun (navigational instrument)
Russian
2 entries- секста́н noun (navigational instrument)
- секста́нт noun (navigational instrument)
Spanish
1 entries- sextante noun (navigational instrument)
Swedish
1 entries- sextant noun (navigational instrument)
Vietnamese
1 entries- kính lục phân noun (navigational instrument)
Welsh
2 entries- onglyr noun (navigational instrument)
- onglyron noun (navigational instrument)
Sample sentences
7 total sentences available.
Tycho Brahe used only a compass and a sextant to observe the stars.
Source: tatoeba (3958586)
He's an expert with a sextant.
Source: tatoeba (8290944)
Using a sextant, the sun and a watch to guide him, Amundsen made the 3,000-kilometer round-trip journey from a basecamp in Antarctica in 99 days.
Source: tatoeba (11945620)
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sextant"?
Closest matches include angle instrument, astrolabe, astronavigation, azimuth circle, azimuth compass.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sextant"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.