compass

[ kuhm-puhs ]

/ ˈkʌm pəs /

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See synonyms for: compass / compassed on Thesaurus.com

Definition of compass

noun

an instrument for determining directions, as by means of a freely rotating magnetized needle that indicates magnetic north.

the enclosing line or limits of any area; perimeter: You can find anything you want downtown within the compass of ten square blocks.

space within limits; area; extent; range; scope: the narrow compass of the strait;the broad compass of the novel.

Also called range . the total range of tones of a voice or of a musical instrument.

due or proper limits; moderate bounds: Their behavior stayed within the compass of propriety.

a passing round; circuit: the compass of a year.

Often compasses . an instrument for drawing or describing circles, measuring distances, etc., consisting generally of two movable, rigid legs hinged to each other at one end (usually used with pair of): to spread the legs of a compass and draw a larger circle.

Astronomy.

Compass. Also called Mariner's Compass . the constellation Pyxis.
Compasses, the constellation Circinus.

adjective

curved; forming a curve or arc: a compass timber;compass roof.

verb (used with object)

to go or move round; make the circuit of: It would take a week to compass his property on foot.

to extend or stretch around; hem in;surround; encircle: An old stone wall compasses their property.

to attain or achieve; accomplish; obtain: To have compassed this task in the limited time available is no mean achievement.

to contrive; plot; scheme: to compass a treacherous plan.

to make curved or circular.

to comprehend; to grasp, as with the mind: His mind could not compass the extent of the disaster.

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Origin of compass

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English compassen, from Old French compasser “to measure,” from unattested Vulgar Latin compāssāre, equivalent to compāss(us), “equal step” (Latin com- com- + pāssus pace¹) + -āre verb suffix; (noun) Middle English compas, from Old French, derivative of compasser

synonym study for compass

3. See range.

OTHER WORDS FROM compass

com·pass·a·ble, adjectivecom·pass·less, adjectiveoutcompass, verb (used with object)pre·com·pass, verb (used with object), noun

un·com·pass·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby compass

compartment, compartmental, compartmentalization, compartmentalize, compartmentation, compass, compass card, compass course, compass deviation, compass deviation card, compassion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use compass in a sentence

I fundamentally feel that the Gallaudet Board of Trustees has lost its way and its moral compass.
Racism allegations at Gallaudet U pushed two officials to resign, they say. The school says it’s now committing to permanent changes.|Lauren Lumpkin|October 29, 2020|Washington Post
It also includes a compass and flashlight, so it makes getting lost almost impossible.
Power banks to keep you in charge|PopSci Commerce Team|October 28, 2020|Popular-Science
Under Tomé’s watch, the shipping giant is resetting its compass and choosing its path with care.
How CEO Carol Tomé reset focus at UPS|kristenlbellstrom|October 23, 2020|Fortune
Using just a depth-sensing camera, GPS, and compass data, it learned to enter a space much as a human would, and find the shortest possible path to its destination without wrong turns, backtracking, or exploration.
Facebook is training robot assistants to hear as well as see|Karen Hao|August 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review

While this “rectangular peg problem” seems like the kind of question a high school geometry student might settle with a ruler and compass, it has resisted mathematicians’ best efforts for decades.
New Geometric Perspective Cracks Old Problem About Rectangles|Kevin Hartnett|June 25, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Muscovites call their favorite station “Ukho Moskvy” (Ear of Moscow) and see it as an institution, a compass for society.
The Kremlin Is Killing Echo of Moscow, Russia’s Last Independent Radio Station|Anna Nemtsova|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He repeated it again, slowly: “He has no values…He has no moral compass whatsoever.”
Will Chris Christie Bow to Iowa’s Pork Kings?|Olivia Nuzzi|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It radiates her inner light and compass, her disregard for status quo.
Why Maya Angelou Loved Sherry, The Drink of Brilliant Renegades|Jordan Salcito|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He goes on to compass the very nature of memory by way of considering how we memorialize mass death.
Geoff Dyer at Sea: Unmoored but on Target|Melissa Holbrook Pierson|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Boyd does have a moral compass—not yours or mine—but he does have one.
Kentucky’s Finest Antihero: Walton Goggins on Justified’s Chameleon Villain|Allen Barra|February 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She habitually ate chocolates for their sustaining quality; they contained much nutriment in small compass, she said.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The manual compass on these organs seldom extended higher than f2 or g3, though it often went down to GG.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Later it was extended to F, 30 notes, which is the compass generally found in England.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
This was the point of compass revealed by the astrologer as most favourable to the young candidate for manly honours.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
With the exception of the Celestes, which go down to FF only, every stop is complete, of full compass.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller

British Dictionary definitions for compass

compass

/ (ˈkʌmpəs) /

noun

an instrument for finding direction, usually having a magnetized needle which points to magnetic north swinging freely on a pivot

Also called: pair of compasses (often plural) an instrument used for drawing circles, measuring distances, etc, that consists of two arms, joined at one end, one arm of which serves as a pivot or stationary reference point, while the other is extended or describes a circle

limits or rangewithin the compass of education

music the interval between the lowest and highest note attainable by a voice or musical instrument

archaic a circular course

verb (tr)

to encircle or surround; hem in

to comprehend or grasp mentally

to achieve; attain; accomplish

obsolete to plot

Derived forms of compass

compassable, adjective

Word Origin for compass

C13: from Old French compas, from compasser to measure, from Vulgar Latin compassāre (unattested) to pace out, ultimately from Latin passus step

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for compass

compass

[ kŭm′pəs ]

A device used to determine geographical direction, usually consisting of a magnetic needle mounted on a pivot, aligning itself naturally with the Earth's magnetic field so that it points to the Earth's geomagnetic north or south pole.

A device used for drawing circles and arcs and for measuring distances on maps, consisting of two legs hinged together at one end.

compass

Definition of compass

Origin of compass

synonym study for compass

OTHER WORDS FROM compass

Words nearby compass

Words related to compass

How to use compass in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for compass

Derived forms of compass

Word Origin for compass

Scientific definitions for compass