Compass: Finding North, and Drawing a Circle
A compass shows direction using a magnetised needle. A pair of compasses draws circles, and the same word means range or scope.
A compass points the way. The drawing instrument shares the name for a reason: both describe a circle, one by swinging a leg around a point and the other by naming the full circle of directions.
- A direction-finding instrument. *Take a bearing with the compass.*
- A circle-drawing instrument. *A pair of compasses.*
- Range or scope. *Beyond the compass of this report.*
- A moral guide. *A strong moral compass.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | compass | A ship's compass. |
| Plural | compasses | A pair of compasses. |
| Compound | compass point | The eight compass points. |
| Compound | compass rose | A compass rose on the chart. |
| Adjective | encompassing | An all-encompassing plan. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The compass needle points to magnetic north.Which is not the same as true north.
- Draw the arc with a pair of compasses.British; Americans say a compass.
- He seems to have lost his moral compass.Figurative — no sense of right direction.
Norths worth distinguishing
- True north — the direction of the geographic pole
- Magnetic north — where the needle points, and it moves year by year
- Grid north — the direction of the vertical lines on a map
- Declination — the angle between true and magnetic north at your location
- Navigators correct for declination; walkers who ignore it drift steadily off course
From Old French *compas*, a circle or measure, from Latin *com* and *passus*, a step — literally to pace out together. The magnetic instrument took the name because its face is a full circle of directions.
A compass or a pair of compasses?
British English says a pair of compasses for the drawing tool, keeping compass for the navigation one. American English uses compass for both.
Why does the needle point north?
It aligns with the earth's magnetic field. The magnetic pole is not at the geographic pole and shifts measurably each year.