northwest

[ nawrth-west; Nautical nawr-west ]

/ ˌnɔrθˈwɛst; Nautical ˌnɔrˈwɛst /

noun

a point on the compass midway between north and west. Abbreviation: NW

a region in this direction.

the Northwest,

the northwestern part of the United States, especially Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
the northwestern part of the United States when its western boundary was the Mississippi River.
the northwestern part of Canada.

adjective

Also north·west·ern. coming from the northwest: a northwest wind.

directed toward the northwest: sailing a northwest course.

adverb

from the northwest.

toward the northwest: sailing northwest.

Nearby words

northumberland strait, northumbria, northumbrian, northward, northwards, northwest, northwest by north, northwest by west, northwest indian confederation, northwest ordinance, northwest passage

Origin of northwest

before 900; Middle English, Old English; see north, west

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for northwest

When, in succession, he made Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Al Ghabban compared one of these sites, Tayma, in the northwest, to New York City, and another one, Thaj, to Dubai.
When Saudi Arabia Ruled the World|Emily Wilson|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Spanish press reports that she is originally from Galicia in northwest Spain.
Ebola Contracted in Madrid Hospital Could Spread in Europe|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I want their honest response,” he told me over the phone from his home in northwest California.
Inside a Hospital for the Criminally Insane|Caitlin Dickson|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It controls a border crossing in the south and has two regime air bases surrounded in the northwest.
How to Beat ISIS and Assad|Michael Tomasky|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To the south and west, the hill-top sheltered it, while to the northwest and north stood tall, dense spruce-trees.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson
The day was clear and cool, the wind from the northwest, so that we travelled slowly.
History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.|Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Specimens from the northwest coast of Wales are said to be larger than those from inland localities.
The Butterflies of the British Isles|Richard South
But now for the juvenile but audacious Portland, who describes herself as "the commercial metropolis of the Northwest."
Two Years in Oregon|Wallis Nash
With improved transportation facilities and good roads, Minot has become a medical center for the northwest section of the State.
North Dakota|Various

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (1 of 2)

northwest

/ (ˌnɔːθˈwɛst, nautical ˌnɔːˈwɛst) /

noun

the point of the compass or direction midway between north and west, 315° clockwise from north

the northwest (often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction

adjective Also: northwestern

(sometimes capital) of or denoting the northwestern part of a specified country, area, etcnorthwest Greenland

adjective, adverb

in, to, towards, or (esp of the wind) from the northwest

Symbol: NW

Derived Forms

northwesternmost, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (2 of 2)

Northwest

/ (ˌnɔːθˈwɛst) /

noun the Northwest

the northwestern part of England, esp Lancashire and the Lake District

the northwestern part of the US, consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon, and sometimes Idaho

(in Canada) the region north and west of the Great Lakes

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

northwest

noun

adjective

adverb

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Nearby words

Origin of northwest

Examples from the Web for northwest

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (1 of 2)

northwest

noun

adjective Also: northwestern

adjective, adverb

Derived Forms

British Dictionary definitions for northwest (2 of 2)

Northwest

noun the Northwest