Standard Lemma guide

binnacle

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈbɪnəkəl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The instrument cluster on a car or motorcycle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a nonmagnetic housing for a ship's compass (usually in front of the helm)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: housing

History

Etymology

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.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

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