Noun
The position or aspect of a heavenly body, as the moon or a planet, when half way between conjunction, or opposition, and quadrature, or distant from another body 45 degrees.
An instrument for measuring angles (generally called a quadrant), having an arc which measures up to 9O¡, but being itself the eighth part of a circle. Cf. Sextant.
One of the eight parts into which a space is divided by three coordinate planes.
Source: Webster's dictionaryThe scales of the octant, sextant, quintant and quadrant are graduated from below zero to 90°, 120°, 140° and 180° respectively. Source: Internet
This system worked by timing the ball and wheel, and using the information obtained to calculate the most likely octant where the ball would fall. Source: Internet