south
Americannoun
-
a cardinal point of the compass lying directly opposite north. S
-
the direction in which this point lies.
-
(usually initial capital letter) a region or territory situated in this direction.
-
the South, the general area south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, consisting mainly of those states that formed the Confederacy.
adjective
-
lying toward or situated in the south; directed or proceeding toward the south.
-
coming from the south, as a wind.
adverb
-
to, toward, or in the south.
-
Informal. into a state of serious decline, loss, or the like.
Sales went south during the recession.
verb (used without object)
-
to turn or move in a southerly direction.
-
Astronomy. to cross the meridian.
noun
-
the southern part of England, generally regarded as lying to the south of an imaginary line between the Wash and the Severn
-
-
the area approximately south of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River, esp those states south of the Mason-Dixon line that formed the Confederacy during the Civil War
-
the Confederacy itself
-
-
the countries of the world that are not economically and technically advanced
adjective
noun
-
one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at 180° from north and 90° clockwise from east and anticlockwise from west
-
the direction along a meridian towards the South Pole
-
(often capital) any area lying in or towards the south
-
(usually capital) cards the player or position at the table corresponding to south on the compass
adjective
-
situated in, moving towards, or facing the south
-
(esp of the wind) from the south
adverb
-
in, to, or towards the south
-
archaic (of the wind) from the south
Etymology
Origin of south
before 900; Middle English suth ( e ), south ( e ) (adv., adj., and noun), Old English sūth (adv. and adj.); cognate with Old High German sund-
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The army's commander in the south, Narathip Phoynok, told reporters he ordered security measures raised to the "maximum level in all areas" including at road checkpoints and borders.
From Barron's
The child of Nigerian immigrants, he paints a bleak picture of the south London borough.
From BBC
In the Atlantic, south of Iceland, helicopters and at least one Coast Guard vessel were being used to take control of a tanker formerly known as Bella 1, under the Coast Guard’s law-enforcement authority.
That the fire wouldn’t jump as far south as it did.
From Los Angeles Times
Nichola, who lives in south London, said Year 6 pupil Alistair was bright and capable, especially in maths, but struggled with inflexible thinking, hyper focus and sensory overwhelm.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.