/nɔːθ/, /noɹθ/, [no̞ɹθ]
OriginFrom Middle English north, from Old English norþ, from Proto-West Germanic *norþr, from Proto-Germanic *nurþrą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nér (“below (the surface)”). The meaning developed either from "region where the sun is below (the earth)" or from "left side of someone who turns to the east when praying".
Cognates
Cognate with various Germanic counterparts such as Yola noardth, nordh (“north”), North Frisian noor, nord, nuurd, Nuurđ (“north”), Saterland Frisian Noude, Nudde (“north”), West Frisian noard (“north”), Dutch noord (“north”), German Nord (“north”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk nord (“north”), Faroese, Icelandic norður (“north”), Swedish nord, norr (“north”); also with Ancient Greek νέρτερος (nérteros), ἐνέρτερος (enérteros, “below”), Russian нора (nora, “hole”), Lithuanian nėrõvė (“mermaid, nymph”), Oscan 𐌍𐌄𐌓𐌕𐌓𐌀𐌊 (nertrak, “left”), Umbrian nertru (“left”), Sanskrit नरक (naraka, “hell”), Tocharian B ñor (“below”).
- countable, uncountableThe direction towards the pole to the left-hand side of someone facing east, specifically 0°, or (on another celestial object) the direction towards the pole lying on the northern side of the invariable plane.
“Minnesota is in the north of the USA.”
- countable, uncountableThe up or positive direction.
“Stock prices are heading back towards the north.”
- countable, uncountableThe positive or north pole of a magnet, which seeks the magnetic pole near Earth's geographic North Pole (which, for its magnetic properties, is a south pole).
- alt-of, countable, uncountableAlternative letter-case form of North (“a northern region; the inhabitants thereof”).
“[…] and after independence the north clung to sugar production longer than the south, with the result that when the north took […]”
- countable, uncountableIn a church: the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar.
“If candidates stand on the liturgical south facing the presider and liturgical assistants on the liturgical north, it will present better visual lines for the congregation than if they stand facing ea”
“Many early Christian basilicas were designed with twin ambos for the proclamation of the epistle (on the liturgical south side) and the Gospel (on the north). The separation of the ambos indicated the”
“At St. Andrew's, ecclesiastical north, south, east, and west correspond to geographical northeast, southwest, southeast, and northwest.”
- not-comparableOf or pertaining to the north; northern.
“He lived in north Germany.”
“She entered through the north gate.”
- not-comparableToward the north; northward.
“The most dangerous ones are those that develop during October and November and that follow a north path affecting the western part of the island.”
- not-comparableOf wind, from the north.
“The north wind was cold.”
- not-comparablePertaining to the part of a corridor used by northbound traffic.
“north highway 1”
“Traffic was doing the speed limit on North I-45 one minute and had come to a stand-still the next.”
- not-comparableDesignating, or situated in, the liturgical north (in a church, the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar).
“[…] the high church had liked its clergy to preside at the Eucharist in an ad orientem position; the low church advocated what was called the north end position; but the Liturgical Movement asked the ”
“Throughout the book I refer directionally to the altar and chancel of St. Andrew's as situated at ecclesiastical east (to avoid overcomplicating matters), not geographical or magnetic southeast. Thus,”
- colloquial, not-comparableMore or greater than.
“The wedding ended up costing north of $50,000.”
“The price you're offering had better be north of the highest price this company has ever traded for.”
“Some of the windscreens we replace cost north of $1800[.]”
- Toward the north; northward; northerly.
“Switzerland is north of Italy.”
“We headed north.”
- intransitive, obsoleteTo turn or move toward the north.
“When at B you had northed 3.71[…]”
- USThe northern states of the United States.
- USThe Union during the American Civil War.
“The North lost most battles early in the war.”
- UKThe North of England, a cultural region.
- IrelandNorthern Ireland.
- North Korea.
- The north of anywhere else.
“In 1903, I had adventured, for the first time, northwards, and it really was the North, as my objective was the Great North of Scotland Railway.”
- A group of countries mainly lying north of the equator, including most of the West and the First World and much of the Second World.
“In economic terms, the North controls four-fifths of the income earned anywhere in the world.”
- countable, uncountableA surname.
- countable, uncountableA civil parish in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada, named for its location.
- countable, uncountableA town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States, named after John North.
- countable, uncountableA number of townships in the United States, including in Indiana (2), Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio, listed under North Township; most are named named for their location.
Formsnorths(plural) · further north(comparative) · farther north(comparative) · furthest north(superlative) · farthest north(superlative) · norths(present, singular, third-person) · northing(participle, present) · northed(participle, past) · northed(past) · the North(canonical) · Norths(plural)