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azimuth dial: sundial depending on measurement of horizontal angles, see article on the sundial.
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Babylonian hours: system of hour reckoning, see article on time and date.
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baseline: measured distance between two positions used as the observing stations for a triangulation survey; angles measured from this line serve to locate the other points in the survey.
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Butterfield dial: type of sundial adjustable for latitude, whose gnomon incorporates a latitude pointer often in the form of a bird. This dial type is associated with the 17th-century Paris-based English maker Michael Butterfield.
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calendar: system of reckoning dates, see article on time and date.
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calendar-zodiac scale: scales relating the sun's position in the zodiac to the date.
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caliper: instrument used to take dimensions. One type has two curved legs whose endpoints are used to determine the diameters of spheres.
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Cardan suspension: universal mounting attributed to the 16th-century Italian philosopher and physician Girolamo Cardano which, by means of gimbals, allows the supported part to remain horizontal irrespective of the orientation of the rest of the instrument.
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cardinal points: the main directions on the mariner's compass, north, south, east and west.
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carpenter's rule: measuring ruler carrying one or more scales for calculating the volume of timber or the surface area of board or planking.
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