How to Use astrolabe in a Sentence

astrolabe

noun
  • But that’s because its function is more astrolabe than clock.
    — Alex Schechter, National Geographic, 4 Nov. 2019
  • Photos show the astrolabe’s rete, which includes a bird-like carving at its center.
    — Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024
  • There also appears to be new imagery shown in the metallic astrolabe or armilla that hangs above the map.
    — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Apr. 2019
  • One is an astrolabe, an instrument used to measure the position of stars.
    — Kamasi Washington, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2019
  • Mariner’s astrolabes came into use much later, during the late 15th century.
    — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 27 Oct. 2017
  • Astrolabes used by early sea explorers are frequently referred to as mariner's astrolabes.
    — David Mearns, National Geographic, 24 Oct. 2017
  • Adding to the astrolabe's rarity, Western numerals were also found as corrections etched into the brass device.
    — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024
  • That included this metal disk, thought to be an astrolabe — an instrument that mariners used to navigate by measuring the height of celestial bodies above the horizon.
    — Ernie Mastroianni, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2019
  • Three astrolabes, devices used for navigation, should be flown to Portugal for restoration and research, Noli said.
    — Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2017
  • This idea really picked up steam in the season six finale, when Sam arrived at the Citadel to begin his maester training and encountered an astrolabe that looks a lot like the one in the opening credits of the show.
    — Eliza Thompson, Cosmopolitan, 25 July 2017
  • By aligning an astrolabe perpendicular to the horizon, ancient astronomers could calculate measurements like time and position.
    — David Mearns, National Geographic, 24 Oct. 2017
  • Allen has also purchased a collection owned by a former investor and a rare bronze Spanish navigational astrolabe found off Lucaya Beach that will be on display as well.
    — Bill Springer, Forbes, 31 July 2022
  • Another letter from Synesius addressed Hypatia’s work on her astrolabe, an apparatus that served as a model of the sky and could be used to answer astronomical questions.
    — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2023
  • Without magnetic compasses or tools like astrolabes, the Vikings likely relied on primitive solar compasses to navigate, which uses the position of the sun to determine north.
    — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 9 Apr. 2018
  • There are also lots of smaller instruments—thermometers, sextants, astrolabes—and plenty of globes, as well as an enormous armillary sphere, designed and built by the Italian astronomer Antonio Santucci.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 May 2020
  • Accurate instruments, such as the astrolabe, allowed people to measure the motion of the planets and thus predict movements in the heavens, particularly phenomena like solar and lunar eclipses and the motions of planets like Venus.
    — Carla J. Mulford, Smithsonian, 10 Aug. 2017
  • There is an unbroken lineage from the Romans for precise astrolabes, which was advanced, perfected and made more functional by a Syrian metallurgist, Mariam al Astrulabi.
    — Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'astrolabe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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