north
n
1 one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at 0° or 360°, that is 90° from east and west and 180° from south
2 the direction along a meridian towards the North Pole
3 the direction in which a compass needle points; magnetic north
4 ♦
the North often cap any area lying in or towards the north
Related adjs →
arctic →
boreal
5 (Cards) usually cap the player or position at the table corresponding to north on the compass
adj
6 situated in, moving towards, or facing the north
7 (esp. of the wind) from the north
adv
8 in, to, or towards the north
9 Archaic (of the wind) from the north,
(Symbol)
N (Old English; related to Old Norse northr, Dutch noord, Old High German nord)
Bath and North East Somerset
n a unitary authority in SW England, in Somerset; formerly (1974--96) part of the county of Avon. Pop.: 158692 (1996). Area: 351 sq. km (136 sq. miles)
British North America
n (formerly) Canada or its constituent regions or provinces that formed part of the British Empire
east by north
n
1 one point on the compass north of east, 78° 45<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction
Far North
n the. the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the world
French North Africa
n the former French possessions of Algeria, French Morocco, and Tunisia
geographic north
n another name for →
true north
magnetic north
n the direction in which a compass needle points, at an angle (the declination) from the direction of true (geographic) north
North [1]
n
♦
the
1 the northern area of England, generally regarded as reaching approximately the southern boundaries of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire
2 (in the U.S.) the area approximately north of Maryland and the Ohio River, esp. those states north of the Mason-Dixon Line that were known as the Free States during the Civil War
3 the northern part of North America, esp. the area consisting of Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; the North Country
4 the countries of the world that are economically and technically advanced
5 Poetic the north wind
adj
a of or denoting the northern part of a specified country, area, etc.
b (as part of a name)
North Africa
North [2]
n
1 Frederick, 2nd Earl of Guildford, called Lord North. 1732--92, British statesman; prime minister (1770--82), dominated by George III. He was held responsible for the loss of the American colonies
2 Sir Thomas. ?1535--?1601, English translator of Plutarch's Lives (1579), which was the chief source of Shakespeare's Roman plays
North Africa
n the part of Africa between the Mediterranean and the Sahara: consists chiefly of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and N Egypt
♦
North African adj, n
North America
n the third largest continent, linked with South America by the Isthmus of Panama and bordering on the Arctic Ocean, the N Pacific, the N Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. It consists generally of a great mountain system (the Western Cordillera) extending along the entire W coast, actively volcanic in the extreme north and south, with the Great Plains to the east and the Appalachians still further east, separated from the Canadian Shield by an arc of large lakes (Great Bear, Great Slave, Winnipeg, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario); reaches its greatest height of 6194 m (20320 ft.) in Mount McKinley, Alaska, and its lowest point of 85 m (280 ft.) below sea level in Death Valley, California, and ranges from snowfields, tundra, and taiga in the north to deserts in the southwest and tropical forests in the extreme south. Pop.: 421006000 (1996 est.). Area: over 24000000 sq. km (9500000 sq. miles)
♦
North American adj, n
North Atlantic Drift , Current
n the warm ocean current flowing northeast, under the influence of prevailing winds, from the Gulf of Mexico towards NW Europe and warming its climate, (Also called)
Gulf Stream
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
n the full name of →
NATO
North Ayrshire
n A council area of W central Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde: comprises the N part of the historical county of Ayrshire, including the Isle of Arran; formerly part of Strathclyde Region (1975--96): chiefly agricultural, with fishing and tourism. Administrative centre: Irvine. Pop.: 139020 (1996 est.). Area: 884 sq. km (341 sq. miles)
North Borneo
n the former name (until 1963) of →
Sabah
North Brabant
n a province of the S Netherlands: formed part of the medieval duchy of Brabant. Capital: 's Hertogenbosch. Pop.: 2290400 (1996 est.). Area: 4965 sq. km (1917 sq. miles), (Dutch name)
Noordbrabant
north by east
n
1 one point on the compass east of north, 11° 15<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction
north by west
n
1 one point on the compass west of north, 348° 45<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction
North Cape
n
1 a cape on N Magerøy Island, in the Arctic Ocean off the N coast of Norway
2 a cape on N North Island, New Zealand
North Carolina
n a state of the southeastern U.S., on the Atlantic: consists of a coastal plain rising to the Piedmont Plateau and the Appalachian Mountains in the west. Capital: Raleigh. Pop.: 7425183 (1997 est.). Area: 126387 sq. km (48798 sq. miles), (Abbrevs.)
N.C (with zip code) NC
♦
North Carolinian adj, n
North Channel
n a strait between NE Ireland and SW Scotland, linking the North Atlantic with the Irish Sea
North Country
n usually preceded by: the
1 another name for →
North 1 →
1
2 the geographic region formed by Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories
North Dakota
n a state of the western U.S.: mostly undulating prairies and plains, rising from the Red River valley in the east to the Missouri plateau in the west, with the infertile Bad Lands in the extreme west. Capital: Bismarck. Pop.: 640883 (1997 est.). Area: 183019 sq. km (70664 sq. miles), (Abbrevs.)
N.Dak, N.D (with zip code) ND
♦
North Dakotan adj, n
North Down
n a district of E Northern Ireland, in Co. Down. Pop.: 71832 (1991). Area: 82 sq. km (32 sq. miles)
northeast by north
n
1 one point on the compass north of northeast, 33° 45<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction
North East Frontier Agency
n the former name (until 1972) of →
Arunachal Pradesh
North East Lincolnshire
n a unitary authority in NE England, in Lincolnshire: formerly (1974--96) part of the county of Humberside. Pop.: 164000 (1996 est.). Area: 192 sq. km (74 sq. miles)
North Germanic
n a subbranch of the Germanic languages that consists of Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and their associated dialects
See also →
Old Norse
North Holland
n a province of the NW Netherlands, on the peninsula between the North Sea and IJsselmeer: includes the West Frisian Island of Texel. Capital: Haarlem. Pop.: 2468400 (1996 est.). Area: 2663 sq. km (1029 sq. miles), (Dutch name)
Noordholland
North Island
n the. the northernmost of the two main islands of New Zealand. Pop.: 2733083 (1996). Area: 114729 sq. km (44297 sq. miles)
North Korea
n a republic in NE Asia, on the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea: established in 1948 as a people's republic; mostly rugged and mountainous, with fertile lowlands in the west. Language: Korean. Currency: won. Capital: Pyongyang. Pop.: 21234000 (1998 est.). Area: 122313 sq. km (47225 sq. miles), (Official name)
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (Korean name)
Choson
♦
North Korean adj, n
North Lanarkshire
n a council area of central Scotland: consists mainly of the NE part of the historical county of Lanarkshire; formerly (1974--96) part of Strathclyde Region: engineering and metalworking industries. Administrative centre: Motherwell. Pop.: 307100 (1996 est.). Area: 1771 sq. km (684 sq. miles)
North Lincolnshire
n a unitary authority of NE England, in Lincolnshire: formerly (1975--96) part of the county of Humberside. Pop.: 153000 (1996 est.). Area: 1497 sq. km (578 sq. miles)
north-northeast
n
1 the point on the compass or the direction midway between north and northeast, 22° 30<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction, (Symbol)
NNE
north-northwest
n
1 the point on the compass or the direction midway between northwest and north, 337° 30<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction, (Symbol)
NNW
North Ossetian Republic
n a constituent republic of S Russia, on the N slopes of the central Caucasus Mountains. Capital: Vladikavkaz. Pop.: 658000 (1995 est.). Area: about 8000 sq. km (3088 sq. miles), (Also called)
North Ossetia, Alania
North Pole
n
1 the northernmost point on the earth's axis, at a latitude of 90°N, characterized by very low temperatures
2 (Also called)
north celestial pole (Astronomy) the point of intersection of the earth's extended axis and the northern half of the celestial sphere, lying about 1° from Polaris
3 usually not caps the pole of a freely suspended magnet, which is attracted to the earth's magnetic North Pole
North Rhine-Westphalia
n a state of W Germany: formed in 1946 by the amalgamation of the Prussian province of Westphalia with the N part of the Prussian Rhine province and later with the state of Lippe; part of West Germany until 1990: highly industrialized. Capital: Düsseldorf. Pop.: 17893000 (1996 est.). Area: 34039 sq. km (13142 sq. miles), (German name)
Nordrhein-Westfalen
North Riding
n (until 1974) an administrative division of Yorkshire, now constituting most of North Yorkshire
North Saskatchewan
n a river in W Canada, rising in W Alberta and flowing northeast, east, and southeast to join the South Saskatchewan River and form the Saskatchewan River. Length: 1223 km (760 miles)
North Sea
n an arm of the Atlantic between Great Britain and the N European mainland. Area: about 569800 sq. km (220000 sq. miles), (Former name)
German Ocean
North-Sea gas
n (in Britain) natural gas obtained from deposits below the North Sea
North Somerset
n a unitary authority of SW England, in Somerset: formerly (1974--96) part of the county of Avon. Pop.: 177000 (1996 est.). Area: 375 sq. km (145 sq. miles)
North Star
n the. another name for →
Polaris →
1
North Tyneside
n a unitary authority of NE England, in Tyne and Wear. Pop.: 194100 (1996 est.). Area: 84 sq. km (32 sq. miles)
North Vietnam
n a region of N Vietnam, on the Gulf of Tonkin: an independent Communist state from 1954 until 1976. Area: 164061 sq. km (63344 sq. miles)
northwest by north
n
1 one point on the compass north of northwest, 326° 15<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction
North-West Frontier Province
n a province in N Pakistan between Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir: part of British India from 1901 until 1947; of strategic importance, esp. for the Khyber Pass. Capital: Peshawar. Pop.: 12287000 (1985 est.). Area: 74522 sq. km (28773 sq. miles)
North Yemen
n a former republic in SW Arabia, on the Red Sea; now part of Yemen: declared a republic in 1962: united with South Yemen in 1990, (Official name)
Yemen Arab Republic See also →
Yemen →
South Yemen
North Yorkshire
n a county in N England, formed in 1974 from most of the North Riding of Yorkshire and parts of the East and West Ridings: the geographical and ceremonial county includes the unitary authorities of Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and part of Stockton on Tees (all within Cleveland until 1996), and York (created in 1997). Administrative centre: Northallerton. Pop. (including unitary authorities): 1016100 (1996 est.). Area (including unitary authorities): 8603 sq. km (3322 sq. miles)
Old North French
n any of the dialects of Old French spoken in N France, such as Norman French
Palmerston North
n a city in New Zealand, in the S North Island on the Manawatu River. Pop. (urban area): 76300 (1995 est.)
true north
n the direction from any point along a meridian towards the North Pole, (Also called)
geographic north Compare →
magnetic north
west by north
n
1 one point on the compass north of west, 281° 15<minute> clockwise from north
adj
adv
2 in, from, or towards this direction