protractor
(prəʊˈtræktə(r))
Also 7–8 -er.
[a. med.L. prōtractor, agent-n. f. prōtrah-ĕre to protract.]
One who or that which protracts.
1. One who lengthens out or prolongs time or any action; † one who puts off, delays, or postpones action (obs.).
| 1611 Cotgr., Delayeur, a delayer, deferrer, protractor, prolonger, lingerer, wiredrawer... Prolongeur, a prolonger, protracter, wyre-drawer, delayer. 1661 Blount Glossogr. (ed. 2), Protractor (Lat.), a prolonger or drawer out. 1697 G. Burghope Disc. Relig. Assemb. 144 The protractors and delayers of due preparation. 1727 Bailey (vol. II.), Protracter, one who protracts. 1737 Bolingbroke Stud. & Use Hist. viii. (1777) 277, I know not what part the protractors of the war..intended to take. 1755 Johnson, Protracter, one who draws out any thing to tedious length. |
2. An instrument, generally having the form of a graduated semicircle, used in setting off and measuring angles.
| 1658 Phillips, Protractor, a certain Mathematical instrument made of brasse, consisting of the Scale and Semicircle, used in the surveying of Land. 1669 Pepys Diary 4 Feb., This parallelogram is not, as Mr. Sheres would, the other day, have persuaded me, the same as a Protractor. 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 92 Measure the Angle marked upon the Plan with the Protractor. 1727 Bailey, Protracter. [So in Johnson.] 1889 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. II. 421 The application of an ordinary horn protractor will at once show the angle included in every instance. |
3. A surgical instrument: see quots.
| 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Protractor, an instrument used in surgery, to draw out any foreign or disagreeable bodies from a wound or ulcer; in like manner as the forceps. 1731 Bailey, Protracter. 1736 Ibid. (folio), Protracter, Protractor. 1895 Syd. Soc. Lex., Protractor, an instrument for extracting foreign bodies from wounds. |
4. Anat. A muscle which serves to protract or extend a limb or member. Also protractor muscle.
| 1861 Hulme tr. Moquin-Tandon ii. v. ii. 276 Four muscles, two of which are protractors, and two retractors. 1870 Rolleston Anim. Life Introd. 96 One pair of protractor muscles may be present. 1871 Huxley Anat. Vertebr. Anim. 49 The psoas minor..is a protractor of the pelvis. |
5. (See quot.)
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., Protractor,..an adjustable tailor's pattern, expansible to agree in its proportions with the particular measurements and capable of being secured in the obtained adjustment. |