rhumb line
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rhumb line
n.
The path of a ship that maintains a fixed compass direction, shown on a map as a line crossing all meridians at the same angle. Also called loxodrome.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
rhumb line
n
Often shortened to: rhumb 1. (Mathematics) an imaginary line on the surface of a sphere, such as the earth, that intersects all meridians at the same angle
2. (Navigation) the course navigated by a vessel or aircraft that maintains a uniform compass heading
[C16: from Old Spanish rumbo, apparently from Middle Dutch ruum space, ship's hold, but also influenced by Latin rhombus]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
rhumb′ line`
n.
the path of a ship that maintains a constant compass direction.
[1660–70]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
rhumb line
- A line on a sphere that cuts all meridians at the same angle; the path taken by a ship or plane that maintains a constant compass direction.See also related terms for sphere.
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Noun | 1. | rhumb line - a line on a sphere that cuts all meridians at the same angle; the path taken by a ship or plane that maintains a constant compass direction line - a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent |
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