bin·na·cle / ˈbinəkəl/ • n. a built-in housing for a ship's compass.ORIGIN: late 15th cent. (as bittacle): from Spanish bitácula, bitácora or Portuguese bitacola, from Latin habitaculum ‘dwelling place,’ from habitare ‘inhabit.’ The change to binnacle occurred in the mid 18th cent.

binnacle

binnacle box containing ship's compass. XV. Earlier forms biticle, bittacle — Sp. bitácula, bitácora or Pg. bitácola (corr. to It. abitacolo, F. habitacle) — L. habitāculum habitation, F. habitāre inhabit; the change from tt to nn may have been bridged by such a form as biddikil (XVII).