·noun A case or box placed near the helmsman, containing the compass of a ship, and a light to show it at night.
(formerly BITTACLE) It appears evidently to be derived from the French term habittacle, a small ha...
The Sailor's Word-Book
A fine or affected word, which sailors jeeringly offer to chalk up on the binnacle. ...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
A small binnacle with a single compass, usually placed before the other. In line-of-battle ships it ...
The lamp throwing light upon the compass-card. ...