n.
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 a : BOUNDARY , CIRCUMFERENCE <within the compass of the city walls> b : a circumscribed space <within the narrow compass of 21 pages ― V. L. Parrington> c : RANGE , SCOPE <the compass of my voice>
2 : a curved or roundabout course <a compass of seven days' journey ― 2 Kings 3:9(AV)>
3 a : a device for determining directions by means of a magnetic needle or group of needles turning freely on a pivot and pointing to the magnetic north b : any of various nonmagnetic devices that indicate direction c : an instrument for describing circles or transferring measurements that consists of two pointed branches joined at the top by a pivot ― usually used in plural ― called also pair of compasses
4 : DIRECTION 6C <his moral compass >
synonyms see RANGE
compass 3a