southing

[ sou-th ing ]

/ ˈsaʊ ðɪŋ /

noun

Astronomy.

the transit of a heavenly body across the celestial meridian.
south declination.

movement or deviation toward the south.

distance due south made by a vessel.

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"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?

Question 1 of 10

decorum

the act of or need for making up one's mind.

dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

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Origin of southing

First recorded in 1650–60; south + -ing¹

Words nearby southing

southernmost, southernwood, southey, southfield, southgate, southing, southington, southland, southmost, southpaw, southport

Definition for southing (2 of 2)

south

[ noun, adjective, adverb south; verb south, south ]

/ noun, adjective, adverb saʊθ; verb saʊθ, saʊð /

noun

a cardinal point of the compass lying directly opposite north. Abbreviation: 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.

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-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for southing

Who could ask a better stimulus for his imagination than the annual southing of this mighty host?
The Foot-path Way|Bradford Torrey
On the 31st, to my mortification, the river held so much to the northward, that we undid almost all our southing.
Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, Complete|Charles Sturt
Southing, which will make the place of taking altitude for time 55.
Voyages from Montreal Through the Continent of North America to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans in 1789 and 1793|Alexander Mackenzie
As they made their southing, wind and weather seemed to fall astern, the sun poured with a more golden candour.
Where the Blue Begins|Christopher Morley

It is so bright that, viewed through that tube, it must have been visible to the naked eye, even when southing in full daylight.
The Contemporary Review, Volume 36, September 1879|Various

British Dictionary definitions for southing (1 of 3)

southing

/ (ˈsaʊðɪŋ) /

noun

nautical movement, deviation, or distance covered in a southerly direction

astronomy a south or negative declination

British Dictionary definitions for southing (2 of 3)

south

/ (saʊθ) /

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

the south (often capital) any area lying in or towards the southRelated adjectives: meridional, austral

(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

Symbol: S

Word Origin for south

Old English sūth; related to Old Norse suthr southward, Old High German sundan from the south

British Dictionary definitions for southing (3 of 3)

South

/ (saʊθ) /

noun the South

the southern part of England, generally regarded as lying to the south of an imaginary line between the Wash and the Severn

(in the US)

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

of or denoting the southern part of a specified country, area, etc
(capital as part of a name)the South Pacific

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

Idioms and Phrases with southing

south

see go south.

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southing

noun

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

Origin of southing

Words nearby southing

Definition for southing (2 of 2)

noun

adjective

adverb

verb (used without object)

Origin of south

Example sentences from the Web for southing

British Dictionary definitions for southing (1 of 3)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for southing (2 of 3)

noun

adjective

adverb

Word Origin for south

British Dictionary definitions for southing (3 of 3)

noun the South

adjective

Idioms and Phrases with southing