Standard Lemma guide

rhumb

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

  • /ɹʌm/
  • /ɹʌmb/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌm
  • rhymes with -ʌmb

1

noun

Meaning 1

A line which crosses successive meridians at a constant angle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: navigation

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rhumb line, loxodrome

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any of the 32 points of the compass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: navigation

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: navigation

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a line on a sphere that cuts all meridians at the same angle; the path taken by a ship or plane that maintains a constant compass direction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rhumb line, loxodrome

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: line

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish rumbo or Portuguese rumo, from Latin rhombus, from Ancient Greek ῥόμβος (rhómbos). Doublet of rhomb and rhombus.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: دِيرَة (dīra) — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Bulgarian: румб (rumb) — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Finnish: kompassipiiru — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • French: rumb — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • French: rhumb — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • German: Kompasspunkt — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • German: Rhumb — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Hungarian: szélvonal — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Italian: rombo di bussola — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Polish: rumb — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Portuguese: rumo — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Swedish: kompassträck — one of the 32 points of the compass (compass points)
  • Arabic: خَنّ (ḵann) — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • Finnish: kompassipiiru — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • French: rumb — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • French: rhumb — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • German: Rhumb — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • Italian: rombo di bussola — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • Polish: rumb — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • Romanian: cart — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°
  • Swedish: kompassträck — a unit of angular measure equal to 1/32 of a circle or 11.25°