COMPASS


Meaning of COMPASS in English

I. ˈkəm-pəs also ˈkäm- transitive verb

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French cumpasser to measure, from Vulgar Latin * compassare to pace off, from Latin com- + passus pace

Date: 14th century

1. : to devise or contrive often with craft or skill : plot

persons…who have compass ed my destruction — Charles Dickens

2. : encompass

3.

a. : bring about , achieve

b. : to get into one's possession or power : obtain

4. : comprehend

• com·pass·able -pə-sə-bəl adjective

II. 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(Authorized Version)

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

]

III. adjective

Date: 1523

: forming a curve : curved

a compass timber

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.