Meanings
nounbackstaff (plural backstaffs or backstaves)
plural backstaffs · plural backstaves
- nauticalAn early navigational instrument for measuring the altitude of the sun and hence calculating latitude.
Cite this entry
APA
backstaff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backstaff
MLA
“backstaff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backstaff. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backstaff,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backstaff.
Source: backstaff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.