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• north
  north

  noun

  a cardinal point of the compass, lying in the plane of the meridian and to the left of a person facing the rising sun. N
• North
  North

  noun

  Christopher, pen name of John Wilson.

north

¹ American  

[nawrth] / nɔrθ /

noun

1. a cardinal point of the compass, lying in the plane of the meridian and to the left of a person facing the rising sun. N

2. the direction in which this point lies.

3. (usually initial capital letter) a region or territory situated in this direction.

4. the North, the northern area of the United States, especially the states that fought to preserve the Union in the Civil War, lying to the north of the Ohio River, and usually including Missouri and Maryland.

5. (initial capital letter) North Country.

6. the north wind.

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adjective

1. in, toward, or facing, the north.

   the north gate.

2. directed or proceeding toward the north.

   a north course.

3. coming from the north.

   a north wind.

4. (usually initial capital letter) designating the northern part of a region, nation, country, etc..

   North Atlantic.

adverb

1. to, toward, or in the north.

   sailing north.

North ² American  

[nawrth] / nɔrθ /

noun

1. Christopher, pen name of John Wilson.

2. Frederick, 2nd Earl of Guilford Lord North, 1732–92, British statesman: prime minister 1770–82.

3. Sir Thomas, 1535?–1601?, English translator.

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north ¹ British  

/ nɔːθ /

noun

1. one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at 0° or 360°, that is 90° from east and west and 180° from south

2. the direction along a meridian towards the North Pole

3. the direction in which a compass needle points; magnetic north

4. (often capital) any area lying in or towards the north

5. cards (usually capital) the player or position at the table corresponding to north on the compass

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adjective

1. situated in, moving towards, or facing the north

2. (esp of the wind) from the north

adverb

1. in, to, or towards the north

2. archaic (of the wind) from the north

North ² British  

/ nɔːθ /

noun

1. the northern area of England, generally regarded as reaching approximately the southern boundaries of Yorkshire and Lancashire

2. (in the US) the area approximately north of Maryland and the Ohio River, esp those states north of the Mason-Dixon Line that were known as the Free States during the Civil War

3. the northern part of North America, esp the area consisting of Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut; the North Country

4. the countries of the world that are economically and technically advanced

5. poetic the north wind

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adjective

1. 1. of or denoting the northern part of a specified country, area, etc

   2. ( as part of a name )

      North Africa

North ³ British  

/ nɔːθ /

noun

1. Frederick, 2nd Earl of Guildford, called Lord North. 1732–92, British statesman; prime minister (1770–82), dominated by George III. He was held responsible for the loss of the American colonies

2. Sir Thomas. ?1535–?1601, English translator of Plutarch's Lives (1579), which was the chief source of Shakespeare's Roman plays

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Etymology

Origin of north

before 900; Middle English, Old English, cognate with Dutch noord, German Nord, Old Norse northr

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

north North

Paxton filed a lawsuit in Amarillo, more than 700 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, where Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk has heard nearly all cases since Trump appointed him to the bench in 2018.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

But for real hurt, as anyone north of the border will tell you, try supporting Scotland.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Their usual range is from Santa Barbara to Baja California, although it has been shifting north as climate change heats the oceans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Estimates of the size of this exposure vary between $500 billion to north of $1 trillion.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

When the ice on the big river broke up, he and Peter Avakoff took their teams into the hills north of the village, where deep snow still lay on the ground.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

“If you are not directly involved in data-center work, the broader construction market feels relatively weak,” an electrical contractor in North Dakota said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Canadians are enduring potentially hazardous air as a record-smashing North American heat wave persists.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

In East Anglia, the Cam and Ely Ouse, North West Norfolk and North Norfolk catchments are in "prolonged dry weather" status - the category below drought.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Around 1607, settlers in the nearby Popham Colony constructed a wooden sailboat, dubbed Virginia—the first oceangoing boat built by English settlers in North America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

He found it strange that Auntie North would discourage her like that.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• northward