/ saʊθ; NAmE / noun , adjective , adverb
■ noun [ U , sing. ] ( abbr. S , So. )
1.
(usually the south ) the direction that is on your right when you watch the sun rise; one of the four main points of the compass :
Which way is south?
warmer weather coming from the south
He lives to the south of (= further south than) the city.
—compare east , north , west
2.
the south , the South the southern part of a country, a region or the world :
birds flying to the south for the winter
They bought a villa in the South of France.
Houses are less expensive in the North than in the South (= of England) .
3.
the South the southern states of the US
—see also the Deep South
4.
the South the poorer countries in the southern half of the world
■ adjective ( abbr. S , So. ) [ only before noun ]
1.
in or towards the south :
South Wales
They live on the south coast.
2.
a south wind blows from the south
—compare southerly
■ adverb
towards the south :
This room faces south.
•
IDIOMS
- down south
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English sūth , of Germanic origin; related to Low German sud .