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DEFINITION: (noun) An optical instrument consisting of a small mounted telescope rotatable in horizontal and vertical planes, used to measure angles in surveying, meteorology, and navigation. SYNONYMS: transit. USAGE: In doubling the point, two of the officers landed to take a round of angles with the theodolite.

The Italian government has recently undertaken an international campaign to retrieve artifacts that it believes are vital to Italy's cultural heritage. A few years ago, Italy uncovered documentation indicating that many items in the US Getty Museum collection had been looted from Italian archeological sites. After extensive negotiations, the museum has agreed to return 40 objects from its collections to Italy. Among those are a 5th c BCE statue of the goddess Aphrodite, which the Italians have agreed to let the Getty display until its return in 2010.

A necktie is a narrow fabric band of varying length worn around the neck and tied in a knot or bow close to the throat. The modern tie, ascot, and bowtie are descended from the 17th c. cravat. Originally, the four-in-hand necktie was cut on the square and had square ends. The bias-cut necktie, introduced in 1926, allowed the tie to fall evenly from the knot without twisting. Using mathematical modeling, researchers have discovered 85 possible necktie knots; how many are “aesthetically pleasing?”