> Hello everyone,
> Has anyone ever seen gnomon defined as such?
> Almost two thousand years ago, Hero of Alexandria defined the gnomon as
> that form which, when added to some form, results in a new form, similar
> to the original. In a spiral seashell, for example, we see that each new
> section of growth (the gnomon) resembles its predecessor and maintains
> the shell's overall shape.
> -Luke
Here's what Merriam Webster online has to say
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
Main Entry: gno
mon
Pronunciation: 'nO-m&n, -"mn
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from Greek gnOmOn interpreter, pointer on a sundial,
from gignOskein
Date: 1546
1 : an object that by the position or length of its shadow serves as
an indicator especially of the hour of the day: as a : the pin of a
sundial b : a column or shaft erected perpendicular to the horizon
2 : the remainder of a parallelogram after the removal of a similar
parallelogram containing one of its corners
[gnomon illustration] http://www.m-w.com/mw/art/gnomon.htm
I can see a relation between the second definition according to
Merriam Webster and the one you cite, though the one you cite is more
general.
Jim
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