: an arc of the horizon measured between a fixed point (such as true north) and the vertical circle passing through the center of an object usually in astronomy and navigation clockwise from the north point through 360 degrees
2
: horizontal direction expressed as the angular distance between the direction of a fixed point (such as the observer's heading) and the direction of the object
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On June 21, the sun sets at an azimuth of 302 degrees or 32 degrees north of due west.—Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 May 2026 The azimuth changes minute by minute, varying by as much as 9 degrees during Wednesday’s two-hour window.—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2026 The company says the longer, hybrid tonearm supports full adjustability for both azimuth and vertical tracking angle (VTA) and reduces distortion, especially on inner grooves.—Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 25 Feb. 2026 Evolved from the azimuth thruster systems dating back to the mid-20th century and beyond, electric pod drives serve as a flexible, decentralized form of marine propulsion that increases efficiency, improves maneuverability and frees up space in a ship's hull.—New Atlas, 12 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for azimuth
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Medieval Latin azimut, from Arabic al-sumūt the azimuth, plural of al-samt the way