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Glite Dictionary
east by south

east by south

1 8.2
A compass direction just south of east
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : este por sur
  • Sailors relied on the east by south heading for their navigation across the bay.

Examples

  • The ship changed course to east by south to avoid the storm.

  • The ship sailed east by south to reach the harbor.

  • The map indicated the town was located east by south of the mountain range.

  • We need to head east by south from here.

  • To navigate accurately, we should travel east by south for two kilometers before turning west.

  • The ship was sailing east by south to avoid the storm approaching from the north.

  • During our hike, we followed a path that led east by south, providing beautiful views of the valley.

Synonyms

EbS
vseast by south
  • Archaic
9.9

A compass direction a little south of east used for navigation

gives the equivalent bearing as an absolute angle of 101 degrees 15 minutes

Surface Forms

east by south singular
east by souths plural

Morphology

east + by + south

Knowing 'east' and 'south' and the preposition 'by' allows a learner to infer a directional sense — that the phrase means a direction slightly toward south from east (i.e., a bit south of due east). However, the precise nautical/compass convention that 'by' denotes one compass point (the exact angle 101°15′) is specialized and not predictable for an average B1 learner, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

East by south comes from sailors and mapmakers who used old compass points and named very small steps between directions. It literally means one small step from east toward south, so it means the exact direction called the 'one point south of east', about '101°15′'.