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compass
THESAURUS
compass
verb | com·pass | \ k m-p s also käm- \
Popularity: Bottom 50% of words | Updated on: 4 Apr 2018
Tip: Synonym Guide
Examples: COMPASS in a Sentence WORD OF THE DAY
Definition of COMPASS
maladroit
transitive verb 1
lacking skill in handling situations
: to devise or contrive often with craft or skill : PLOT
· " … persons … who have compassed my destruction … " —Charles Dickens · a lake compassed by mountains
2
: ENCOMPASS
3
a : BRING ABOUT , ACHIEVE
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S U B S C R IB E
· … none can compass more than they intend … —Alexander Pope b : to get into one's possession or power : · He compassed a vast estate. : · could not compass the seriousness of the problem OBTAIN
4
COMPREHEND
— compassable
\km-p-s-bl also käm-\ adjective
See compass defined for kids
TRE NDI NG NOW
Examples of COMPASS in a Sentence
1 oligarch
attempting more than his modest abilities could compass
'government in which a small …
2 glib
the great age of exploration, when ships of sail compassed the earth
'insincere to the point of being…
3 depose 'to take testimony from especi…
4 omnibus 'containing or including many…
5 acrimony 'anger and bitterness'
Origin and Etymology of
COMPASS Synonyms
COMPASS
S E E A L L
Synonyms appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, intuit, know,
Middle English, from Anglo-French cumpasser to measure, from Vulgar Latin *compassare to pace off, from Latin com- + passus pace
BROWS E DI CTI ONARY
compartmentize compas
2
compass
compass
compass bearing
noun
compass brick
Definition of COMPASS 1
·
a : BOUNDARY , CIRCUMFERENCE within the compass of the city walls b : a circumscribed space crammed into a narrow compass
·
c : RANGE , SCOPE
· the compass of my voice
2
: a curved or roundabout course
3
a : a device for determining directions by means of a magnetic needle or group of needles turning freely on a pivot and pointing to the magnetic north b : any of various nonmagnetic devices that indicate direction c : an instrument for describing circles or transferring measurements that consists of two pointed branches joined at the top by a pivot —usually used in plural — called also pair of compasses
4
· … a compass of seven days' journey … —2 Kings 3:9 (King James Version)
·
: DIRECTION 6c his moral compass
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Examples of COMPASS in a Sentence
reversi
go
pente
Chinese checkers
He always carries a compass when he walks in the woods. Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
His religion is the compass that guides him.
T A K E T H E Q U IZ
Interest rates serve as a compass for determining whether to buy or sell stocks. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
The character in the movie had no moral compass to tell him that stealing was wrong.
T A K E T H E Q U IZ
Recent Examples of COMPASS from the Web The system would do away with the need for soldiers to use a map to figure out a unit’s location, requiring compasses to determine direction. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "U.S. Troops to Test Augmented Reality By 2019," 29 Mar. 2018 Five hours north of the marina, boaters navigate Lake George by compass and channel marker (GPS is unreliable) to reach Silver Glen Springs. — Nancy Moreland, chicagotribune.com, "Soak up the scenery, silence on a houseboat journey along Florida's St. Johns River," 27 Mar. 2018 But this three-bedroom house, designed for two astronomy photographers and positioned to face the magnetic north like the needle of a compass, is a point of convergence. — latimes.com, "Today: Russia, the Slapdown and the Silence," 27 Mar. 2018
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of
Illustration of COMPASS
COMPASS see 1 COMPASS
COMPASS Synonyms Synonyms border, borderline, bound, boundary, brim, circumference, confines, edge, edging, end, frame, fringe, hem, margin, perimeter, periphery, rim, skirt, skirting, verge
Synonym Discussion of COMPASS RANGE , GAMUT , COMPASS , SWEEP , SCOPE , ORBIT mean the extent that lies within the powers of
something (as to cover or control). RANGE is a general term indicating the extent of one's
· suggests a graduated series running from one possible extreme to another.
perception or the extent of powers, capacities, or possibilities. the entire range of human experience GAMUT
a performance that ran the gamut of emotions implies a sometimes limited extent of ·perception, knowledge, or activity. your concerns lie beyond the narrow compass of this study · suggests extent, often circular or arc-shaped, of motion or activity. · the book covers the entire sweep of criminal activity is applicable to an area of activity, predetermined and limited, but somewhat flexible. · as time went on, the scope of the investigation widened suggests an often circumscribed range of activity or influence within which forces work toward accommodation. · within that restricted orbit they tried to effect social change COMPASS
SWEEP
SCOPE
ORBIT
3
compass adjective
Definition of COMPASS
·
: forming a curve : CURVED a compass timber
First Known Use of COMPASS 1523
Phrases Related to COMPASS Related Phrases all points/every point of the compass magnetic compass
COMPASS Defined for English Language Learners
compass noun
Definition of COMPASS for English Language Learners : a device that is used to find direction by means of a needle that always points north : something that helps a person make choices about what is right, effective, etc. : a tool that consists of two pointed sticks joined at the top and that is used for measuring distances
COMPASS Defined for Kids
compass noun | com·pass | \ k m-p s \
Definition of COMPASS for Students 1
: a device having a magnetic needle that indicates direction on the earth's surface by pointing toward the north
2
: an instrument for drawing circles or marking measurements consisting of two pointed legs joined at the top by a pivot —usually used in pl.
3
: 1 RANGE 2, SCOPE He is within the compass of my voice.
·
Learn More about COMPASS See words that rhyme with compass Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for compass Spanish Central: Translation of compass Nglish: Translation of compass for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of compass for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compass
Seen and Heard Wh a t ma d e yo u w a n t to l o o k u p co mp a ss? P l e a se te l l u s w h e re yo u re a d o r h e a rd i t (i n cl u d i n g th e q u o te , i f p o ssi b l e ). S H O W 1 3 C O M M E N T S
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