† ˈsexagesm Math. Obs.
[ad. mod.L. sexāgēsima (sc. pars), fem. of L. sexāgēsimus, ordinal of sexāgintā sixty.]
A sexagesimal fraction. Also, the sixtieth part of a degree, a minute.
| 1570 [see sexagene]. 1635 Gellibrand Variation Magn. Needle 13 The differ. is 110008 MZB..which converted into sexagesmes is 11 gr. 0 min., 0 Sec. [1674 S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 233 To turn Sexagenae into Integers, or Decimals into Sexagesimae, multiply continually by 6, every time removing the Separatrix one place.] 1685 Wallis Alg. vii. 18 For 1/7, (because this cannot be exactly expressed in Sexagesms) they would put 8{p}. 1734 Phil. Trans. XXXVIII. 470 The Declination of all needles (especially if touched by different Magnets) is different a few Sexagesms. |