time ball

time ball
noun
: a large ball on a pole (as at an observatory) that is arranged to drop suddenly to mark a particular hour of day (as noon)

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time ball noun
A ball mounted on a vertical pole, eg on top of a high building, that drops at a regular point in each day as an indication of mean time
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Main Entry: ↑time

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time ball,
a ball suspended on a pole on top of an observatory or other tall building for the purpose of indicating an exact moment of mean time, such as noon, by dropping from the top to the bottom of the pole, usually by the closing of an electric circuit at the predetermined moment.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Time ball — Time Time, n.; pl. {Times}. [OE. time, AS. t[=i]ma, akin to t[=i]d time, and to Icel. t[=i]mi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. [root]58. See {Tide}, n.] 1. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Time ball — A time ball is a large painted wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time, principally to enable sailors to check their marine chronometers. Accurate timekeeping is one way of enabling mariners to determine their longitude at… …   Wikipedia

  • Time Ball — Boule horaire Pour les articles homonymes, voir boule et horaire. La boule horaire de l Observatoire royal de Gr …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Time ball — Boule horaire Pour les articles homonymes, voir boule et horaire. La boule horaire de l Observatoire royal de Gr …   Wikipédia en Français

  • time-ball — noun a ball that slides down a staff to show a fixed time; especially at an observatory • Hypernyms: ↑ball, ↑globe, ↑orb • Part Holonyms: ↑timepiece, ↑timekeeper, ↑horologe …   Useful english dictionary

  • time ball — noun A large wooden or metal ball that drops at a predetermined time to enable sailors to check their marine chronometers from their boats offshore …   Wiktionary

  • Time — Time, n.; pl. {Times}. [OE. time, AS. t[=i]ma, akin to t[=i]d time, and to Icel. t[=i]mi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. [root]58. See {Tide}, n.] 1. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Time bargain — Time Time, n.; pl. {Times}. [OE. time, AS. t[=i]ma, akin to t[=i]d time, and to Icel. t[=i]mi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. [root]58. See {Tide}, n.] 1. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Time bill — Time Time, n.; pl. {Times}. [OE. time, AS. t[=i]ma, akin to t[=i]d time, and to Icel. t[=i]mi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. [root]58. See {Tide}, n.] 1. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Time book — Time Time, n.; pl. {Times}. [OE. time, AS. t[=i]ma, akin to t[=i]d time, and to Icel. t[=i]mi, Dan. time an hour, Sw. timme. [root]58. See {Tide}, n.] 1. Duration, considered independently of any system of measurement or any employment of terms… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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