Meanings
plural astrolabes
- An astronomical and navigational instrument for gauging the altitude of the Sun and stars.
The shop carries more than a dozen sundials, mostly of bronze, plus an astrolabe ($650) of wrought iron.
1985 April 4, Daryln Brewer, “HELPFUL HARDWARE; AN ARRAY OF SUNDIALS”, in The New York Times1 more example
The cafe serves a Moroccan breakfast (orange juice, yogurt, sweet crepes, honey and jam; 100 dirhams), and the Museum of Islamic Art offers wrought Persian astrolabes, Syrian copperwork and shimmering Moroccan textiles.
2007 November 11, Seth Sherwood, “36 Hours in Marrakesh, Morocco”, in The New York Times
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀστρολάβος“star-taking”
- Old Frenchastrelabe
- Middle Frenchastrolabe
- Middle Englishastrelabie
- Englishastrolabe
From Middle English astrelabie et al., from Middle French astrolabe, Old French astrelabe, from Ancient Greek ἀστρολάβος (astrolábos, “star-taking”), from ἄστρον (ástron, “star”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “I take”).
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَسْطْرُلَاب
- أَسْطْرُلَاب (ʔasṭrulāb)astronomical and navigational instrument
Catalan astrolabi
- astrolabiastronomical and navigational instrument
Chinese Mandarin 星盤 /星盘
- 星盤 /星盘 (xīngpán)astronomical and navigational instrument
Czech astroláb
- astrolábastronomical and navigational instrument
Danish astrolabium
- astrolabiumastronomical and navigational instrument
Dutch astrolabium
- astrolabiumastronomical and navigational instrument
Esperanto astrolabo
- astrolaboastronomical and navigational instrument
Estonian astrolaab
- astrolaabastronomical and navigational instrument
Finnish astrolabi
- astrolabiastronomical and navigational instrument
French astrolabe
- astrolabeastronomical and navigational instrument
German Astrolabium, Sternhöhenmesser
- Astrolabiumastronomical and navigational instrument
- Sternhöhenmesserastronomical and navigational instrument
Greek αστρολάβος
- αστρολάβος (astrolávos)astronomical and navigational instrument
Hindi तारेक्ष
- तारेक्ष (tārekṣ)astronomical and navigational instrument
Hungarian asztrolábium
- asztrolábiumastronomical and navigational instrument
Italian astrolabio, astrolabo
- astrolabioastronomical and navigational instrument
- astrolaboastronomical and navigational instrument
Japanese アストロラーベ
- アストロラーベ (asutororābe)astronomical and navigational instrument
Korean 아스트롤라베
- 아스트롤라베 (aseuteurollabe)astronomical and navigational instrument
Latvian astrolabs, astrolabija
- astrolabsastronomical and navigational instrument
- astrolabijaastronomical and navigational instrument
Lithuanian astroliabija
- astroliabijaastronomical and navigational instrument
Persian اسطرلاب, اختریاب
- اسطرلاب (ostorlâb)astronomical and navigational instrument
- اختریاب (axtaryâb)astronomical and navigational instrument
- استرلاب (ostorlâb)astronomical and navigational instrument
- ستارهیاب (setâre-yâb)astronomical and navigational instrument
Polish astrolabium
- astrolabiumastronomical and navigational instrument
Portuguese astrolábio
- astrolábioastronomical and navigational instrument
Romanian astrolab
- astrolabastronomical and navigational instrument
Russian астроля́бия
- астроля́бия (astroljábija)astronomical and navigational instrument
Slovak astroláb
- astrolábastronomical and navigational instrument
Spanish astrolabio
- astrolabioastronomical and navigational instrument
Swedish astrolabium
- astrolabiumastronomical and navigational instrument
Turkish usturlap
- usturlapastronomical and navigational instrument
Ukrainian астроля́бія
- астроля́бія (astroljábija)astronomical and navigational instrument
Urdu اُسْطُرْلاب, اُصْطُرْلاب
- اُسْطُرْلاب (usturlāb)astronomical and navigational instrument
- اُصْطُرْلاب (usturlāb)astronomical and navigational instrument
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
astrolabe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/astrolabe
“astrolabe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/astrolabe. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “astrolabe,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/astrolabe.
Source: astrolabe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.