binnacle

B3I1N1N1A1C3L1E1
/ˈbɪnəkəl/

noun

The wooden housing for a ship's compass, with its corrector magnets and illuminating arrangements.

OriginFrench habitacle ← Portuguese bitácula ← Late Latin habitāculum →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounbinnacle (plural binnacles)

plural binnacles

  1. nauticalThe wooden housing for a ship's compass, with its corrector magnets and illuminating arrangements.

    The lamp, or candle, which lights the binnacle, is placed in the cabin, of course the expence of one light is saved, and all the inconveniences of blowing out in a squally night, and likewise the trouble of trimming the lamp, are avoided.

    1811, The Tradesman, volume 7, page 420
  2. The instrument cluster on a car or motorcycle.

Origin

  1. Late Latinhabitāculum“little dwelling place”
  2. Portuguesebitácula
  3. Frenchhabitacle
  4. Englishbinnacle

Corruption of earlier bittacle, from French habitacle. Or from obsolete Spanish or Portuguese bitácula, both from Late Latin habitāculum (“little dwelling place”). Compare modern Spanish bitácora.

More words from French, Portuguese, Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan bitàcola
  • bitàcola(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Dutch kompashuisje
  • kompashuisje(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Finnish kompassipylväs
  • kompassipylväs(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
French habitacle
  • habitacle(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
German Kompasshaus, Kompasshäuschen
  • Kompasshaus(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
  • Kompasshäuschen(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Greek πυξιδοθήκη
  • πυξιδοθήκη (pyxidothíki)(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Hebrew בֵּית מַצְפֵּן
  • בֵּית מַצְפֵּן (beyt matspen)(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Italian chiesuola
  • chiesuola(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Japanese 羅針箱
  • 羅針箱 (rashinhako)(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Polish naktuz
  • naktuz(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Portuguese bitácula
  • bitácula(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Romanian habitaclu
  • habitaclu(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Russian накто́уз
  • накто́уз (naktóuz)(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Spanish bitácora
  • bitácora(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Ukrainian нактоуз
  • нактоуз (naktouz)(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Welsh binacl
  • binacl(nautical) the wooden housing for a ship's compass
Cite this entry
APA

binnacle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/binnacle

MLA

“binnacle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/binnacle. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “binnacle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/binnacle.

Source: binnacle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.