north

English Online Dictionary. What means north‎? What does north mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English north, from Old English norþ, cognate with various Germanic counterparts such as Dutch noord, West Frisian noard, German Nord, Danish and Norwegian nord, all from a Proto-Germanic *nurþrą, and cognate with Greek νέρτερος (nérteros, “infernal, lower”). Ultimately, these may derive from either: (a) from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ner- (“inner, under”), from *h₁en (“in”); (b) alternatively from a Proto-Indo-European *ner- (“left, below”), as north is to the left when one faces the rising sun.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /nɔːθ/

• (General American) enPR: nôrth, IPA^(key): /noɹθ/, [no̞ɹθ]
  • (NYC) IPA^(key): /nɔəθ/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /noːθ/
• (without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /nɔː(ɹ)θ/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)θ

Noun

north (countable and uncountable, plural norths)

2. The direction towards the pole to the left-hand side of someone facing east, specifically 0°, or (on another celestial object) the direction towards the pole lying on the northern side of the invariable plane.

   Alternative form: (abbreviation) N

   Minnesota is in the north of the USA.

3. The up or positive direction.

   Stock prices are heading back towards the north.

4. (physics) The positive or north pole of a magnet, which seeks the magnetic pole near Earth's geographic North Pole (which, for its magnetic properties, is a south pole).
5. Alternative letter-case form of North (“a northern region; the inhabitants thereof”). [circa 1300]
6. (ecclesiastical) In a church: the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar.

Antonyms

• south

Coordinate terms

(compass points)

Derived terms

Related terms

• Norse

Translations

Also see Appendix:Cardinal directions for translations of all compass points

Adjective

north (not comparable)

1. Of or pertaining to the north; northern.

   He lived in north Germany.

   She entered through the north gate.

2. Toward the north; northward.
3. (meteorology) Of wind, from the north.

   The north wind was cold.

4. Pertaining to the part of a corridor used by northbound traffic.

   north highway 1
5. (ecclesiastical) Designating, or situated in, the liturgical north (in a church, the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar).
6. (colloquial) More or greater than.

   The wedding ended up costing north of $50,000.

Synonyms

• (of the north): boreal, septentrional

Antonyms

• south, austral, meridional

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

north (not comparable)

1. Toward the north; northward; northerly.

   Switzerland is north of Italy.

   We headed north.

Antonyms

• south

Translations

Verb

north (third-person singular simple present norths, present participle northing, simple past and past participle northed)

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To turn or move toward the north.

Anagrams

• Rt Hon, Rt. Hon., Thorn, thorn

Cornish

Alternative forms

• (Revived Late Cornish) noor

Etymology

From English north.

Noun

north m

1. north

Synonyms

• kledhbarth

Antonyms

• dyghowbarth
• soth

Derived terms

• north-est (“north-east”)
• north-west (“north-west”)
• Penn-Aghel an North (“North Pole”)

Middle English

Alternative forms

• norþ, northe, norþe, norrþ

Etymology

From Old English norþ, in turn from Proto-Germanic *nurþrą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɔrθ/

Noun

north

2. north, northernness
3. A location to the north; the north
4. The north wind

Coordinate terms

• (compass point): est, south, west

Related terms

• northerne
• Northfolk
• Northumberlond
• Northumbre

Descendants

• English: north
• Scots: north
• Yola: nordh, noardth

References

• “north, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 29-03-2018.

Adjective

north

2. north, northern
3. At the north

Descendants

• English: north
• Scots: north
• Yola: nordh

References

• “north, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 29-03-2018.

Adverb

north

2. To the north, northwards
3. From the north
4. In the north

Descendants

• English: north
• Scots: north
• Yola: nordh

References

• “north, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 29-03-2018.