# binnacle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbɪnəkəl/

## Definitions
1. The wooden housing for a ship's compass, with its corrector magnets and illuminating arrangements.
2. The instrument cluster on a car or motorcycle.

## Etymology
Corruption of earlier bittacle, from French habitacle. Or from obsolete Spanish or Portuguese bitácula, both from Late Latin habitāculum (“little dwelling place”). Compare modern Spanish bitácora.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/binnacle