Jacob's staff noun phr. [dʒeɪkǝbz 'stɑ:f] M16.
[W. allus. to St James (ecclesiastical Latin Jacobus), whose symbols are a pilgrim's staff and a scallop shell, or Genesis 30:37-43, 32:10.]
1. A pilgrim's staff. M16-M17.

2. a. Hist. An instrument for taking the altitude of a celestial object. M16.
b. An instrument for measuring distances and heights, consisting of a rod fitted with a cursor. L18.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲