southwest

[ south-west; Nautical sou-west ]

/ ˌsaʊθˈwɛst; Nautical ˌsaʊˈwɛst /

noun

the point or direction midway between south and west. Abbreviation: SW

a region in this direction.

the Southwest, the southwest region of the United States.

adjective

lying toward, situated in, or directed toward the southwest.

coming from the southwest, as a wind.

adverb

in the direction midway between south and west.

Origin of southwest

before 900; Middle English; Old English sūthwest. See south, west

Related formssouth·west·ern, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for southwest

AirAsia, on the other hand, is a relatively new carrier, an upstart in the tradition of Southwest Airlines in the United States.
The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This leaves Southwest, a serious competitor, as the only domestic carrier left able to claim “bags fly free.”
Flying Coach Is the New Hell: How Airlines Engineer You Out of Room|Clive Irving|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the Rockies, the number climbs to 26 percent, and in the Southwest, fully a third are on board.
America’s Slumbering Secession Obsession|James Poulos|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Close to 50,000 unaccompanied Central American minors showed up at the southwest border this year.
Could You Make It to America Alive?|Caitlin Dickson|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Checkpoints like this one and the 33 others along the southwest border are the source of frustration for the towns they occupy.
A Shooting on a Tribal Land Uncovers Feds Running Wild|Caitlin Dickson|August 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two of the men went with me, and we entered the lower garden by the southwest postern.
Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall|Charles Major
The morning was cool, the wind from the southwest; but in the afternoon the heat returned.
History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, Vol. I.|Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
"The Southwest was conquered only after years of hard fighting with the original owners" (p. 26).
The American Empire|Scott Nearing
It needed but a few seconds to assure himself upon this point, and then he struck off to the southwest.
Through Apache Lands|R. H. Jayne
On the southwest the cathedral is adjoined by magnificent Gothic cloisters, finished in 1448.
The Brochure Series of Architectural Illustration, vol. 06, No. 3, March 1900|Various

British Dictionary definitions for southwest (1 of 2)

southwest

/ (ˌsaʊθˈwɛst, nautical ˌsaʊˈwɛst) /

noun

the point of the compass or the direction midway between west and south, 225° clockwise from north

(often cap usually preceded by the) any area lying in or towards this direction

adjective Also: southwestern

(sometimes capital) of or denoting the southwestern part of a specified country, area, etcsouthwest Italy

situated in or towards the southwest

(esp of the wind) from the southwest

adverb

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

Symbol: SW

Derived Formssouthwesternmost, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for southwest (2 of 2)

Southwest

/ (ˌsaʊθˈwɛst) /

noun

the Southwest the southwestern part of Britain, esp Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset

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

Word Origin and History for southwest

southwest

adv.

Old English suð-west; see south + west. As a noun from early 12c. Related: Southwester; southwesterly.

southwest

noun

adjective

adverb

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Nearby words

Origin of southwest

Examples from the Web for southwest

British Dictionary definitions for southwest (1 of 2)

southwest

noun

adjective Also: southwestern

adverb

British Dictionary definitions for southwest (2 of 2)

Southwest

noun

Word Origin and History for southwest

southwest