noun
Rare technical term for a drawing compass; the loanword コンパス is overwhelmingly more common in modern Japanese.
See also: コンパス
製図の授業で両脚規を使ったが、今はみんなコンパスと言う。
We used a pair of compasses in drafting class, but nowadays everyone says コンパス.
The standard modern word for a drawing compass; 両脚規 is a rare native Japanese equivalent used mainly in older or technical contexts.
Compound of 両 (both) + 脚 (leg) + 規 (standard, rule), literally 'two-legged standard', referring to the two legs of a compass. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.