Noun:
1. The first book in the
His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman.
2. An object of the same name or alethiometer (literally Truth-Measure) within said book. It is used by Lyra (the protaganist) to find truth and meaning throughout her journey. It resembeles a large golden-colored pocketwatch with three
knobs on it's rim. It opens to reveal an ornate circle with 36 distinct symbols at it's edge with three large hands and one
small hand which move around it. Each symbol has a series of meanings which, when held in one's mind may pose as a question or an answer. The big hands move to form your question with the knobs and the little hand moves to give the answer.
Very like a clock, or a compass, for there were hands pointing to places around the dial, but instead of the hours or the points of
the compass there were several little pictures, each of them painted with the finest and slenderest
sable brush.
- Extract from The Golden Compass (aka
Northern Lights)
