🧭 A compass point ➡️ Toward northeast

nor'-east

9.9

In the direction halfway between north and east

adverb
/nɔrˈist/

Archaic

: noreste

Our ship sailed nor'-east through rough and icy waters.

Examples

The storm was blowing steadily nor'-east across the channel.
He glanced nor'-east, searching the sky for a break in the clouds.
The ship sailed nor'-east towards the horizon.
We traveled nor'-east to reach the mountains.
Our ship sailed nor'-east through rough and icy waters.
He glanced nor'-east, searching the sky for a break in the clouds.
The storm was blowing steadily nor'-east across the channel.

Synonyms

northeast

vsnor'-east

25 1.0

To move toward the north and east

is a literary or nautical variant rather than the usual modern spelling

vsnor'-east

2 4.0

A compass direction halfway between north and east at 45 degrees

is a spelled literary or nautical variant rather than an abbreviation

northeastward

vsnor'-east

1 3.2

In the direction halfway between north and east on a compass

is a literary or nautical variant focusing on style not motion phrasing

northeasterly

vsnor'-east

1 3.2

On the northeast side of a place like a building

is the literary or nautical variant, not the neutral descriptive form

north-east

vsnor'-east

1.0

Toward the north and east

is an older literary or nautical variant of that direction

northeastwardly

vsnor'-east

6.2

Toward the northeast

is instead a literary or nautical alternative, not the neutral adverb

Surface Forms

nor'-east positive

Morphology

nor'-east = north + east (transparent) = north + east

The adverbial sense is a directional use of the compound 'north' + 'east' (as in 'toward the northeast'), which is a predictable, compositional extension.

Etymology

Nor'-east is also used as an adverb and comes from the same parts north and east, meaning 'toward the northeast', as when sailors say a ship sailed nor'-east.