(n.) An instrument formerly used for taking the altitude of the heavenly bodies, but now superseded by the quadrant and sextant; -- so called because the observer turned his back to the body observed.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). backstaff. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/backstaff/definitions/1977832 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "backstaff" http://smartdefine.org/backstaff/definitions/1977832 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, backstaff, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/backstaff/definitions/1977832>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "backstaff" 27 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/backstaff/definitions/1977832> |