south by west

American

noun

Navigation, Surveying.

a point on the compass 11°15′ west of south. SbW

south by west British

noun

one point on the compass west of south; 191° 15′ clockwise from north

"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

adjective

in, from, or towards this direction

"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

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.

Soon the fraying American regiments were being hounded south by west through New Jersey, and by Christmas Day King George’s troops had driven them across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.

From The Wall Street Journal

The general direction of the river is west by south, but a few miles above Seville it changes to south by west.

From Project Gutenberg

"Keep her south by west," added the pilot.

From Project Gutenberg

S. Petronio is situated at its southern end, and orientates south by west.

From Project Gutenberg

The wind was fair and strong, so that she had made a good offing, and was now steering south by west, bearing up for the distant shores of South America.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023