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north-seeking pole

north-seeking pole

6.1
The end of a magnet that points toward Earth's north when it hangs freely
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : polo norte
  • When suspended, the north-seeking pole of a magnet turns toward geographic north.

Examples

  • The compass needle's north-seeking pole aligns with Earth's magnetic field.

  • Scientists marked the north-seeking pole with a colored cap for their experiments.

  • The north-seeking pole of the magnet pointed north.

  • What is a north-seeking pole?

  • The compass needle's north-seeking pole aligns with Earth's magnetic field.

  • When suspended, the north-seeking pole of a magnet turns toward geographic north.

  • Scientists marked the north-seeking pole with a colored cap for their experiments.

Synonyms

positive pole
vsnorth-seeking pole
  • Specialized
4.4

The end of a magnet that points north when the magnet hangs freely

means the same but uses a different wording in descriptions
positive magnetic pole
vsnorth-seeking pole
  • Specialized
6.0

The end of a magnet that points toward the north when it hangs freely

means the same but is phrased slightly differently in usage

Antonyms

south-seeking pole
  • Specialized
7.8

The end of a magnet that points toward the Earth's south when it hangs freely

Surface Forms

Morphology

north-seeking + pole

The phrase is compositionally built from 'north' + 'seeking' (i.e. oriented or pointing toward the north) and 'pole' (the end of a magnet), so the overall meaning – the magnet end that points north – is directly inferable from the parts. This follows a regular adjectival modifier + noun pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily understand it.

Etymology

North-seeking pole comes from the simple image of a magnet end—the pole—that 'seeks' the north and turns that way when the magnet hangs freely. That's why the term means the end of a magnet that points toward the north.