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Glite Dictionary
north by west

north by west

8.1
A compass direction slightly west of north used for navigation
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : noroeste
  • He adjusted his compass to point north by west before starting the hike.

Examples

  • The ship set a course of north by west to avoid the reef.

  • The wind was blowing from north by west, bringing cooler air across the hills.

  • The ship sailed north by west to avoid the storm.

  • We need to head north by west to reach the lighthouse.

  • He adjusted his compass to point north by west before starting the hike.

  • The ship set a course of north by west to avoid the reef.

  • We need to head north by west to reach the lighthouse.

Synonyms

NbW
vsnorth by west
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A compass direction just west of north at 348°45′

is written fully as the compass point rather than as an abbreviation

Antonyms

south by west
  • Specialized
7.7

A compass direction a little west of due south

Surface Forms

north by west singular

Morphology

north + by + west

The constituent words 'north' and 'west' with the preposition 'by' transparently signal a directional meaning (i.e., slightly west of due north), so a learner who knows the parts will generally infer it refers to a compass bearing. However, the precise technical sense (the conventional 'one point' offset and exact angle) depends on specialized compass nomenclature, so the full, exact meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

North by west comes from old sailors and mapmakers who named very small steps on a compass. It literally means a tiny move from north toward west, so it is used to mean that exact 'direction' one step west of straight north.