Technically, the navigational tool is “a compass” and the geometric draw-a-circle tool is “a pair of compasses” (I don’t know why) - but in general use, people just call both of them “a compass”.
We’ve had hundreds of years to rename one of them, but for some reason haven’t bothered.
TIL I never knew English doesn’t have a separate word for that tool.
It’s a bit weird, isn’t it?
Technically, the navigational tool is “a compass” and the geometric draw-a-circle tool is “a pair of compasses” (I don’t know why) - but in general use, people just call both of them “a compass”.
We’ve had hundreds of years to rename one of them, but for some reason haven’t bothered.
If you use a stick with two points in it, its called a trammel.