septentrion

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From blast septentrion and the gusty south.

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Definitions (5)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun Obsolete Northern regions; the north.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

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Examples (7)

  • From blast septentrion and the gusty south. —  Divine Comedy, Cary's Translation, Complete
  • From the Latin word _trio_ (ox of labor) has come septentrion, the seven oxen. —  Astronomy for Amateurs
  • [21] The lower septentrion, the seven stars of the Great Bear. —  Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 11
  • The lofty steeple hides its diminished head; the mullions and tracery disappear from the pointed windows, from which the stained glass has long since fallen; the arched entrance contracts into a modern door-way; the smooth plain walls betray neither niches, nor pinnacles, nor fresco paintings; and in the warehouse, or manufactory, or smithy, little else remains than the extraordinary size, to point out the original holy destination of the edifice Footnotes 91] The following brief statement of their excesses is copied from a manuscript belonging to the monastery: the full detail of them engages Pommeraye for nearly seven folio pages:--"Le Dimanche troisiйme de May, 1562, les Huguenots s'йtans amassez en grosse troupe, vinrent armez en grande furie dans l'Eglise de S. Ouen, oщ йtant entrez ils rompirent les chaires du choeur, le grand autel, et toutes les chapelles: mirent en pieces l'Horloge, dont on voit encore la menuiserie dans la chapelle joignant l'arcade du costй du septentrion, aussi bien que celles des orgues, dont ils prirent l'йtaim et le plomb pour en faire des balles de mousquet: puis ils allumerent cinq feux, trois dedans l'Eglise et deux dehors, oщ ils brыlerent tous les bancs et sieges des religieux, auec le bois des balustres des chapelles, les bancs et fermetures d'icelles, plusieurs ornemens et vestemens sacrez, comme chappes, tuniques, chasubles, aubes, vne autre partie des plus riches et precieux ornemens de broderie et drap d'or ayant estй enlevйe en l'hфtellerie de la pomme de pin, oщ ils les brыlerent pour en auoir l'or et l'argent. —  Account of a Tour in Normandy, Volume 1
  • Sometimes our ancestors called them the Seven Oxen, the "oxen of the celestial pastures," from which the word septentrion (_septem triones_, seven oxen of labor) is derived. —  Astronomy for Amateurs
 

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old French, from Latin septentriōnēs, seven plow oxen, the seven principal stars of Ursa Major or Ursa Minor : septem, seven; see septm̥ in Indo-European roots + triōnēs (pl. of triō, triōn-, plow ox; see terə-1 in Indo-European roots).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Middle English septemtrion, septemtrioun, septemptrion, from Old French septemtrion, French septentrion = Provencal septentrio = Spanish setentrion = Portuguese septentrião = Italian settentrione, from Latin septentrio (n -), septemtrio (n -), usually in plural septentriones, septemtriones, the seven stars of the Great Bear near the north pole, hence the north; literally the seven plow-oxen, from septem, seven, + trio (n -), a plow-ox.
 

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