pelorus

P3E1L1O1R1U1S1
/pɪˈlɔːɹəs/

noun

A device used to take a bearing on a distant object.

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Meanings

nounpelorus (plural peloruses)

plural peloruses

  1. A device used to take a bearing on a distant object.

    Light clusters, clear, deep, on the face of the radio gear…fans up softly off the dial of the pelorus…spills out portholes onto the white river.

    1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow

Origin

Reportedly the name of Hannibal's pilot.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish suuntimalevy
  • suuntimalevydevice to take bearing
French Taximètre
  • Taximètredevice to take bearing
Hebrew פֶּלוֹרוּס
  • פֶּלוֹרוּס (pelórus)device to take bearing
Swedish pejlskiva
  • pejlskivadevice to take bearing

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Sprouleleproussporule
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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