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compass

  • noun
  • com·pass
  • kŭmʹpəs

A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north).

Other meanings

  1. A pair of compasses (a device used to draw circular arcs and transfer length measurements).

  2. The range of notes of a musical instrument or voice.

Kinds of compass

  • magnetic compass

Example sentences

  • “Wisdom is the compass of the soul.”

    Tatoeba · Igider · CC0

Word history

From Latin "com-" (together).

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “compass” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.