adv
Meaning 1
In a circuit; round about.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
compass
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
kŭmʹpəs
-
Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkʌmpəs/
-
California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈkɐmpəs/
-
South-Asia: /ˈkəmpəs/
-
kŏmʹpəs spelling pronunciation
-
South-Asia: /ˈkɔmpəs/
-
South-Asia: /ˈkɑmpəs/ father-bother merger
-
CMU ARPABET: K AH1 M P AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- 1689/1690, John Locke, On improvement of understanding He that [...] first discovered the use of the compass [...] did more for the propagation of knowledge [...] than those who built workhouses.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A pair of compasses (a device used to draw circular arcs and transfer length measurements).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
The range of notes of a musical instrument or voice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A space within limits; an area.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
An enclosing limit; a boundary, a circumference.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Examples
- within the compass of an encircling wall
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
Moderate bounds, limits of truth; moderation; due limits; used with within.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
Synonym of scope.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: formal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scope
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Range, reach.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A passing round; circuit; circuitous course.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
A curved circular form.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture, business, carpentry, construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 12
To surround; to encircle; to environ; to stretch round.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To go about or round entirely; to traverse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To accomplish; to reach; to achieve; to obtain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 15
To plot; to scheme (against someone).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 16
navigational instrument for finding directions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: navigational instrument
Narrower terms: gyrocompass, magnetic compass
noun
Meaning 17
drafting instrument used for drawing circles
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: drafting instrument
noun
Meaning 18
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the range of a supersonic jet
- a piano has a greater range than the human voice
- the ambit of municipal legislation
- within the compass of this article
- within the scope of an investigation
- outside the reach of the law
- in the political orbit of a world power
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scope, range, reach, orbit, ambit
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: extent
Narrower terms: approximate range, ballpark, confines, contrast, internationality, internationalism, latitude, horizon, view, purview, sweep, expanse, gamut, spectrum, palette, pallet
noun
Meaning 19
the limit of capability
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- within the compass of education
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: range, reach, grasp
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: capability, capableness, potentiality
Narrower terms: sight, ken
verb
Meaning 20
get the meaning of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: grok, get the picture, comprehend, savvy, dig, grasp, apprehend
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: understand
Narrower terms: figure, catch on, get wise, get onto, tumble, latch on, cotton on, twig, get it, intuit, digest
verb
Meaning 21
travel around, either by plane or ship
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- We compassed the earth
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: circumnavigate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: circle
verb
Meaning 22
bring about; accomplish
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- This writer attempts more than his talents can compass
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: achieve, accomplish, attain, reach
History
Etymology
From Middle English compassen (“to go around, make a circuit, draw a circle, contrive, intend”), from Old French compasser; from the noun; see compass as a noun.
From Middle English compas (“a circle, circuit, limit, form, a mathematical instrument”), from Old French compas, from Medieval Latin compassus (“a circle, a circuit”), from Latin com- (“together”) + passus (“a pace, step, later a pass, way, route”); see pass, pace.
Across languages
Translations
233 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Albanian: busull — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Albanian: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Amharic: ኮምፓስ (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Arabic: بُوصُّلَة (būṣṣula) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Arabic: بوصلة (buṣṣla) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Armenian: կողմնացույց (koġmnacʻuycʻ) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Armenian: բեւեռացույց (beweṙacʻuycʻ) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Assamese: কম্পাছ (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Asturian: brúxula — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Azerbaijani: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Azerbaijani: qiblənüma — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Azerbaijani: qiblənamə — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- South Azerbaijani: قبله نما (qiblanuma) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Bashkir: ҡыблама (qıblama) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Basque: iparrorratz — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Belarusian: ко́мпас (kómpas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Bengali: কম্পাস (kompaś) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Breton: nadoz-vor — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Bulgarian: компа́с (kompás) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Burmese: ကွန်ပါ (kwanpa) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Burmese: အိမ်မြှောင် (imhmraung) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Catalan: brúixola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Chinese Cantonese: 指南針 /指南针 (zi2 naam4 zam1) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Chinese Mandarin: 指南針 /指南针 (zhǐnánzhēn) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Chinese Mandarin: 指北針 /指北针 (zhǐběizhēn) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Chinese Mandarin: 羅盤 /罗盘 (luópán) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Chinese Mandarin: 指南 (zhǐnán) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Chinese Mandarin: 南針 /南针 (nánzhēn) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Crimean Tatar: pusla — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Crimean Tatar: qıblenüma — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Czech: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Czech: buzola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Danish: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Dhivehi: ސަމުގާ (samugā) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Dutch: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Esperanto: kompaso — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Estonian: kompass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Faroese: kumpass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Finnish: kompassi — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- French: boussole — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- West-Frisian: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Friulian: bùssule — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Galician: compás — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Galician: buxola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Galician: búsula — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Georgian: კომპასი (ḳomṗasi) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Georgian: საზღვაო კომპასი (sazɣvao ḳomṗasi) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- German: Kompass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- German: Seekompass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- German: Bussole — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Greek: πυξίδα (pyxída) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Gujarati: હોકાયંત્ર (hokāyantra) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hausa: kamfas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hawaiian: pānānā — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hebrew: מַצְפֵּן (matspén) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hindi: क़ुतुबनुमा (qutubnumā) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hindi: दिक्सूचक (diksūcak) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hindi: कंपास (kampās) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Hungarian: iránytű — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Icelandic: áttaviti — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Icelandic: kompás — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ido: busolo — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Igbo: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Indonesian: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Indonesian: padom — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ingrian: kumpassi — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Interlingua: bussola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Irish: compás — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Italian: bussola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Japanese: 方位磁石 (hōijishaku) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Japanese: 羅針盤 (rashinban) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Japanese: コンパス (konpasu) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Japanese: 方位磁針 (hōijishin) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Kannada: ದಿಕ್ಸೂಚಿ (diksūci) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Karachay-Balkar: къыбылама (qıbılama) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Karakalpak: qublanama — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Kazakh: компас (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Kazakh: құбылнама (qūbylnama) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Khmer: ត្រីវិស័យ (trəy visay) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Korean: 나침반 (nachimban) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Korean: 라침반 (rachimban) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Kumyk: къыблама (qıblama) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Central Kurdish: پیشاندار (pîşandar) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Central Kurdish: قبلەنامە (qiblename) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Northern Kurdish: qîblename — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Kyrgyz: компас (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Kyrgyz: кыбыланама (kıbılanama) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Lao: ເຂັມ (khem) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Lao: ເຂັມທິດ (khem thit) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Lao: ເຂັມຊີ້ທິດ (khem sī thit) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Latin: pyxis — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Latvian: kompass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Lithuanian: kompasas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Macedonian: компас (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Malay: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Malay: pedoman — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Malayalam: വടക്കുനോക്കിയന്ത്രം (vaṭakkunōkkiyantraṁ) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Māori: kāpehu — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Marathi: होकायंत्र (hokāyantra) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Mirandese: bússola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Mongolian: луужин (luužin) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Nepali: कम्पास (kampās) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Norwegian Bokmål: kompass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Occitan: bossòla — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Odia: ଦିଗନିର୍ଣ୍ଣୟକ ଯନ୍ତ୍ର (diganirṇṇayaka jantra) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ojibwe: akiinoo'igan — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Pashto: قطب نما (qotab nama) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Dari: قُطْبنَمَا (qutb-namā) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Iranian Persian: قُطْبنَما (ġotb-namâ) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Iranian Persian: قِبْلِهنَما (ġeble-namâ) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Polish: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Portuguese: bússola — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Punjabi: ਕੰਪਾਸ (kampās) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Romanian: busolă — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Romanian: compas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Romansh: cumpassiun — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Russian: ко́мпас (kómpas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Russian: буссо́ль (bussólʹ) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Russian: компа́с (kompás) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Scottish Gaelic: cairt-iùil — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Scottish Gaelic: combaist — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Serbo-Croatian: ко̀мпас — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Serbo-Croatian: kòmpas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Sicilian: bùssula — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Sikkimese: སྐོར་ཐིག (skor thig) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Sinhalese: මාලිමාව (mālimāwa) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Slovak: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Slovene: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Spanish: brújula — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Spanish: aguja de marear — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Spanish: aguja de bitácora — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Swahili: dira — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Swedish: kompass — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tagalog: turubalani — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tagalog: bruhula — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tajik: компас (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tajik: қутбнамо (qutbnamo) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tamil: திசைகாட்டி (ticaikāṭṭi) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tatar: кыйбланамә (qıyblanamä) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Tatar: компас (qompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Telugu: దిక్సూచి (diksūci) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Thai: เข็มทิศ (kěm-tít) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Turkish: pusula — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ottoman Turkish: پوصوله (pusula) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ottoman Turkish: قبلهنامه (kıblaname) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Turkmen: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Turkmen: kyblanama — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ukrainian: ко́мпас (kómpas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Ukrainian: бусо́ля (busólja) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Urdu: قُطْب نُما (qutb numā) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Urdu: کَمْپاس (kampās) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Uyghur: كومپاس (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Uyghur: قىبلىنامە (qibliname) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Uzbek: kompas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Uzbek: qiblanamo — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Vietnamese: la bàn — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Volapük: kompad — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Volapük: melakompad — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Volapük: kopad — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Welsh: cwmpas — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Yiddish: קאָמפּאַס (kompas) — instrument to determine cardinal directions
- Bulgarian: обхва́т (obhvát) — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Czech: rozsah — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Finnish: ääniala — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- French: ambitus — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Greek: διαπασών (diapasón) — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Hungarian: hangterjedelem — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Romanian: diapazon — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Russian: диапазо́н (diapazón) — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Turkish: diyapazon — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Turkish: tınlaç — range of notes of a musical instrument or voice
- Bulgarian: о́бласт (óblast) — area
- Bulgarian: обхва́т (obhvát) — area
- Catalan: àrea — area
- Catalan: àmbit — area
- Czech: oblast — area
- Dutch: omvang — area
- Dutch: bereik — area
- Finnish: alue — area
- Finnish: ala — area
- French: portée — area
- French: étendue — area
- Galician: ámeto — area
- Galician: ámpito — area
- Galician: encalzo — area
- German: Umfang — area
- German: Umkreis — area
- Greek: φάσμα (fásma) — area
- Hungarian: kiterjedés — area
- Hungarian: terület — area
- Hungarian: mérték — area
- Middle English: compas — area
- Portuguese: área — area
- Portuguese: âmbito — area
- Portuguese: alcance — area
- Russian: объём (obʺjóm) — area
- Russian: круг (krug) — area
- Russian: окру́жность (okrúžnostʹ) — area
- Spanish: área — area
- Spanish: ámbito — area
- Spanish: alcance — area
- Thai: ขอบเขต (kɔ̀ɔp-kèet) — area
- Bulgarian: обхват (obhvat) — scope
- Czech: rozsah — scope
- Finnish: alue — scope
- Finnish: ala — scope
- Hungarian: terjedelem — scope
- Hungarian: kör — scope
- Middle English: compas — scope
- Portuguese: limite — scope
- Russian: охва́т (oxvát) — scope
- Thai: ความเข้าใจ (kwaam-kâo-jai) — scope
- Bulgarian: заобикалям (zaobikaljam) — surround
- Dutch: beslaan — surround
- Dutch: omvatten — surround
- Middle English: compassen — surround
- Russian: охва́тывать (oxvátyvatʹ) — surround
- Russian: охвати́ть (oxvatítʹ) — surround
- Russian: окружа́ть (okružátʹ) — surround
- Russian: окружить (okružitʹ) — surround
- Turkish: pergellemek — surround
- Ottoman Turkish: پرگارلامق (pergerlemek) — surround
- Bulgarian: заобикалям (zaobikaljam) — go about or round entirely
- Dutch: doorkruisen — go about or round entirely
- Dutch: omzwerven — go about or round entirely
- Middle English: compassen — go about or round entirely
- Bulgarian: постигам (postigam) — accomplish
- Dutch: bereiken — accomplish
- Middle English: compassen — accomplish
- Dutch: samenzweren (tegen) — plot
- Esperanto: plani — plot
- Middle English: compassen — plot
Real reading context