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Glite Dictionary
NW

NW

29 2.3
The direction halfway between north and west on a map
  • noun
translation icon : noroeste
  • The smaller Spanish force turns NW, attempting to close up with the rest of the fleet.

Examples

  • I started with the state in the extreme NW and worked in a SE direction.

    Academic text (1997)

  • I started with the state in the extreme SE and worked in a NW direction.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Your perfect spot should have a clear horizon in the following directions: NW, N, and NE.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Israeli forces led by General Yigal Alon launched a pincer manoeuvre from southwest and NW, occupying Lidda, then Rambla and the springs at Rasa Line.

  • To navigate accurately, he turned his boat NW to avoid the rocky shoreline.

  • The hiking trail leads hikers NW through the dense forest, offering stunning views along the way.

  • When trying to locate the cabin, we headed NW from the main road until we found the correct path.

Synonyms

northwest
vsNW
  • Specialized
31 1.0

The compass direction halfway between north and west

is the shortened label often used in tables and charts
nor'-west
vsNW
  • Archaic
8.6

The compass point halfway between north and west

is the shortened written form used instead of the full name
northwestward
vsNW
3.1

The direction halfway between north and west on a compass

is the abbreviated label commonly used on maps

Surface Forms

NW singular
NWs plural

Morphology

NW = northwest (semi-transparent) = N + W

Standard abbreviation of the compound 'northwest'; learners familiar with compass notation will recognize 'NW' as representing north + west. [Postprocessing: changed transparency from 'transparent' to 'semi-transparent' for abbreviation]

Etymology

NW is short for northwest, a clear mix of north ('top of a map') and west ('left'), so it names the direction halfway between north and west.