The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Palinurus \Pal`inu"rus\, n. [So called from L. Palinurus, the
   pilot of Aeneas.] (Naut.)
   An instrument for obtaining directly, without calculation,
   the true bearing of the sun, and thence the variation of the
   compass.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Palinurus
    n 1: type genus of the family Palinuridae [syn: Palinurus,
         genus Palinurus]