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south by west

American  

noun

Navigation, Surveying.
  1. a point on the compass 11°15′ west of south. SbW


south by west British  

noun

  1. 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

  1. 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 • Nov. 21, 2025

This parish is situated south by west from Tavistock.

From Curiosities of Great Britain: England and Wales Delineated Vol.1-11 Historical, Entertaining & Commercial; Alphabetically Arranged. 11 Volume set. by Dugdale, Thomas Cantrell

Report at midnight last night to British Admiralty from Lands End states that American steamer Nebraskan torpedoed forty-five miles south by west of Southcliffe, crew taking to boats.

From New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 4, July, 1915 April-September, 1915 by Various

Here I deposited a succinct record of our condition and purposes, and then directed our course south by west into the ice-fields.

From With the World's Great Travellers, Volume 1 by Various

A little past ten o'clock, the Minerve frigate made the signal for twenty sail in the south-west quarter; and, a few minutes after, of eight sail in the south by west.

From The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Volume 1 by Harrison, James

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