compass north
- noun
- /ˈkʌmpəs nɔrθ/
- Specialized
:
norte magnético
- When you use a standard compass, the needle always aligns with compass north.
Examples
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The hikers adjusted their route to head toward compass north rather than true north.
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In navigation, compass north can differ from true north due to magnetic declination.
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Where is compass north?
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The compass north is essential for navigation.
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When you use a standard compass, the needle always aligns with compass north.
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The hikers adjusted their route to head toward compass north rather than true north.
-
In navigation, compass north can differ from true north due to magnetic declination.
Synonyms
2
3.9
The direction a compass needle's north end points on Earth
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase combines 'compass' (a device indicating direction) and 'north' (the cardinal direction) in a literal, compositional way so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts. This follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern of device+direction expressions, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand it.
Etymology
The term compass north comes from the simple image of a compass needle always pointing toward the Earth's magnetic north. So compass north means the direction the compass itself shows, which can be different from true 'north'.