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magnetic north

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noun
  1. north as indicated by a magnetic compass, differing in most places from true north.
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Origin of magnetic north

First recorded in 1805–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for magnetic north

magnetic north

noun
  1. the direction in which a compass needle points, at an angle (the declination) from the direction of true (geographic) north
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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
magnetic north in Science

magnetic north

  1. The direction toward which the north-seeking arrow of a compass points.♦ The magnetic north pole is the northern pole of the Earth's magnetic field and changes slightly in response to variations in the Earth's magnetism. The current magnetic north pole is located in the Arctic Islands of Canada. Compare geographic north.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
magnetic north in Culture

magnetic north

The direction of the north magnetic pole.

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.