Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The direction along a meridian 90° counterclockwise from east; the direction to the left of sunrise.
  • noun The cardinal point on the mariner's compass located at 0°.
  • noun An area or region lying in the north.
  • noun The northern part of the earth.
  • noun The northern part of a region or country.
  • noun The northern part of the United States, especially the states that fought for the Union in the Civil War.
  • adjective To, toward, of, facing, or in the north.
  • adjective Originating in or coming from the north.
  • adverb In, from, or toward the north.
  • adverb Slang Into a better condition, as of increased value.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Nautical, to move or veer toward the north.
  • An abbreviation of northern.
  • noun That one of the cardinal points which is on the right hand when one faces in the direction of the setting sun (west); that intersection of the horizon with the meridian which is on the right hand when one is in this position.
  • noun A region, tract, or country, or a part of such, lying toward the north pole from some other region or point of reckoning.
  • noun Specifically With the definite article: In United States history and politics, those States and Territories which lie north of Maryland, the Ohio river, and Missouri.
  • noun The north wind.
  • noun Eccles., the side of a church that is on the left hand of one who faces the altar or high altar. See east, 1.
  • Being in the north; northern.
  • Eccles., situated at or near that side of a church which is to the left of one facing the altar or high altar. Abbreviated N.
  • To the north; in the north.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun That one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at any place, which lies in the direction of the true meridian, and to the left hand of a person facing the east; the direction opposite to the south.
  • noun Any country or region situated farther to the north than another; the northern section of a country.
  • noun Specifically: That part of the United States lying north of Mason and Dixon's line. See under Line.
  • intransitive verb To turn or move toward the north; to veer from the east or west toward the north.
  • adjective Lying toward the north; situated at the north, or in a northern direction from the point of observation or reckoning; proceeding toward the north, or coming from the north.
  • adjective See Following, a., 2.
  • adjective that point in the heavens, or on the earth, ninety degrees from the equator toward the north.
  • adjective See Following, a., 2.
  • adjective the star toward which the north pole of the earth very nearly points, and which accordingly seems fixed and immovable in the sky. The star α (alpha) of the Little Bear, is our present north star, being distant from the pole about 1° 25', and from year to year approaching slowly nearer to it. It is called also Cynosura, polestar, and by astronomers, Polaris.
  • adverb Northward.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One of the four major compass points, specifically 0°, directed toward the North Pole, and conventionally upwards on a map.
  • noun The up or positive direction.
  • noun Above or higher
  • noun 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).
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the north; northern.
  • adjective Toward the north; northward.
  • adjective meteorology Of wind, from the north.
  • adjective Pertaining to the part of a corridor used by northbound traffic.
  • adverb Toward the north; northward.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the United States (especially the northern states during the American Civil War)
  • noun a location in the northern part of a country, region, or city
  • noun the cardinal compass point that is at 0 or 360 degrees
  • noun the direction in which a compass needle points
  • noun the direction corresponding to the northward cardinal compass point
  • noun British statesman under George III whose policies led to rebellion in the American colonies (1732-1792)
  • adjective situated in or facing or moving toward or coming from the north
  • adverb in a northern direction
  • noun the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English; see ner- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, from Old English norþ, cognate with various Germanic counterparts such as Dutch noord(en), West Frisian noard, German Nord(en), Danish nord, all from a Proto-Germanic *nurþan, and cognate with Greek νέρτερος (nerteros, "infernal, lower") possibly all ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *ner- (“left, below”), as north is to the left when one faces the rising sun.

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Examples

  • WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said Tuesday that a North Korean ship has turned around and is headed back toward the north where it came from, ...

    Jonathan Morgenstein: Korea's Missiles, Obama's Maneuvers and Neocons' Mad-libs 2009

  • WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said Tuesday that a North Korean ship has turned around and is headed back toward the north where it came from, ...

    Amitai Etzioni: North Korea: A Test for Progressives 2009

  • Maybe you won't believe it, but there are currents going north in this sea; once or twice in a lifetime, a whaler or passage hunter returns with a story of being drifted _north_ -- now that's what I want, I am hunting for a northern current.

    Danger Signals Remarkable, Exciting and Unique Examples of the Bravery, Daring and Stoicism in the Midst of Danger of Train Dispatchers and Railroad Engineers John A. Hill

  • Army base between Seoul (South Korea's largest city) and the DMZ (North Korean border) to the north.

    StrategyPage.com 2009

  • The lowest rim of all the wheels, whether standing on the _north_ rails or on the _south_ rails of said track, in consequence of vertical induction attracted the unmarked end of the needle, and the upper rims attracted the marked end of the needle; but the middle portions of the periphery, both anterior and posterior, of the wheels standing on the north rail, attracted the unmarked end, while similar middle portions of wheels standing on south rails attracted the marked end; in consequence of horizontal induction, the wheels being connected by iron axles, and thus presenting considerable extension

    Scientific American Supplement, No. 430, March 29, 1884 Various

  • I mean a word north of what we consider to be a run rate target zone Bob, so as Michael just recapped and you guys have heard us consistently, we have historically that we'll continue to use all the tools available to us.

    unknown title 2011

  • I mean a word north of what we consider to be a run rate target zone Bob, so as Michael just recapped and you guys have heard us consistently, we have historically that we'll continue to use all the tools available to us.

    unknown title 2011

  • With Battle Mountain playing for a league crown and Eagle Valley's purpose - a win or tie - to send the title north, it definitely felt like a victory for the Devils.

    The Vail Trail - All Sections 2009

  • With Battle Mountain playing for a league crown and Eagle Valley's purpose - a win or tie - to send the title north, it definitely felt like a victory for the Devils.

    Vail Daily - Top Stories 2009

  • With Battle Mountain playing for a league crown and Eagle Valley's purpose - a win or tie - to send the title north, it definitely felt like a victory for the Devils.

    Vail Daily - Top Stories 2009

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