A surveying instrument used to measure angles and distances, consisting of a semicircular protractor with sighting arms.
From grapho- (writing, from the ability to record/mark angles) + -meter (measuring device). A 16th-17th century invention combining geometry with practical surveying.
The graphometer was the grandfather of modern surveying tools—before GPS existed, surveyors used these elegant brass instruments to map entire landscapes by carefully measuring angles from one point!
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