zenitfernoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zenitfer mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zenitfer. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
How is the noun zenitfer pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zenitfer come from?
Earliest known use
late 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun zenitfer is in the late 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for zenitfer is from 1596, in the writing of John Blagrave, mathematician.
zenitfer is formed within English, by compounding.
Etymons: zenith n., ‑fer comb. form.
Nearby entries
- Zendician, n.a1833–66
- Zendicism, n.1697–
- Zendish, adj. & n.1802–1921
- Zendist, n.1877–1907
- zendo, n.1914–
- Zener, n.¹1934–
- Zener, n.²1949–
- Zengakuren, n.1950–
- Zen garden, n.1937–
- zenick, n.1801–1900
- zenitfer, n.1596–
- zenith, n. & adj.a1387–
- zenithal, adj.?1731–
- zenithal projection, n.1877–
- zenith-borne, adj.1865–86
- zenith distance, n.1588–
- zenith line, n.1585–
- zenith point, n.1585–
- zenith sector, n.1775–
- zenith sweep, n.1790–
- zenith telescope, n.1803–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1596–A part of an astrolabe used for measuring zenith distances.
- 1596
This Astrolabe hath three generall partes, that is to say, the Celestiall, the Zenitfer with his Cursor, and the Almicantifer with his Pointer.
J. Blagrave, Astrolabium Vranicum i. sig. B1 - 1596
As farre as the Zenithfer will giue leaue.
J. Blagrave, Astrolabium Vranicum i. sig. B 1 b - 1929
The scales on the Zenitfer are so elaborate..that I doubt whether any one would ever have been able to reconstruct them.
Archaeologia vol. 29 68 - 1980
At the top is an unusual revolving rule, or zenitfer, used for astrolabe calculations.
Map Collector No. 10. 6/1
the world the universe cosmology science of observation astronomical instruments [nouns] astrolabe zenitfer- zenitfer1596–A part of an astrolabe used for measuring zenith distances.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Variant forms
- 1500szenithfer
- 1500s; 1900s–zenitfer