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North

//nɔːθ// adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of or pertaining to the north; northern. not-comparable
"He lived in north Germany."
2
Toward the north; northward. not-comparable
"The most dangerous ones are those that develop during October and November and that follow a north path affecting the western part of the island."
3
Of wind, from the north. not-comparable
"The north wind was cold."
4
Pertaining to the part of a corridor used by northbound traffic. not-comparable
"north highway 1"
5
Designating, or situated in, the liturgical north (in a church, the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar). not-comparable
"[…] the high church had liked its clergy to preside at the Eucharist in an ad orientem position; the low church advocated what was called the north end position; but the Liturgical Movement asked the priest to take a basilical position, facing liturgical west, and now both Anglican factions could agree on this third position without either of them losing face."

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6
More or greater than. colloquial, not-comparable
"The wedding ended up costing north of $50,000."

Adjective

1
situated in or facing or moving toward or coming from the north wordnet

Adverb

1
Toward the north; northward; northerly.
"Switzerland is north of Italy."

Adverb

1
in a northern direction wordnet

Proper Noun

1
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; The northern states of the United States. US
2
A surname. countable, uncountable
3
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; The Union during the American Civil War. US
"The North lost most battles early in the war."
4
A civil parish in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada, named for its location. countable, uncountable
5
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; The North of England, a cultural region. UK

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6
A town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States, named after John North. countable, uncountable
7
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; Northern Ireland. Ireland
8
A number of townships in the United States, including in Indiana (2), Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio, listed under North Township; most are named named for their location. countable, uncountable
9
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; North Korea.
10
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; The north of anywhere else.
"In 1903, I had adventured, for the first time, northwards, and it really was the North, as my objective was the Great North of Scotland Railway."
11
The northern part of a region (alternative letter-case form of north), especially:; A group of countries mainly lying north of the equator, including most of the West and the First World and much of the Second World.
"In economic terms, the North controls four-fifths of the income earned anywhere in the world."

Noun

1
The direction towards the pole to the left-hand side of someone facing east, specifically 0°, or (on another celestial object) the direction towards the pole lying on the northern side of the invariable plane. countable, uncountable
"Minnesota is in the north of the USA."
2
a location in the northern part of a country, region, or city wordnet
3
The up or positive direction. countable, uncountable
"Stock prices are heading back towards the north."
4
the cardinal compass point that is at 0 or 360 degrees wordnet
5
The positive or north pole of a magnet, which seeks the magnetic pole near Earth's geographic North Pole (which, for its magnetic properties, is a south pole). countable, uncountable

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6
the direction in which a compass needle points wordnet
7
Alternative letter-case form of North (“a northern region; the inhabitants thereof”). alt-of, countable, uncountable
"[…] and after independence the north clung to sugar production longer than the south, with the result that when the north took […]"
8
the direction corresponding to the northward cardinal compass point wordnet
9
In a church: the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar. countable, uncountable
"If candidates stand on the liturgical south facing the presider and liturgical assistants on the liturgical north, it will present better visual lines for the congregation than if they stand facing east and west with their backs toward the congregation."

Verb

1
To turn or move toward the north. intransitive, obsolete
"When at B you had northed 3.71[…]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English north, from Old English norþ, from Proto-West Germanic *norþr, from Proto-Germanic *nurþrą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nér (“below (the surface)”). The meaning developed either from "region where the sun is below (the earth)" or from "left side of someone who turns to the east when praying". Cognates Cognate with various Germanic counterparts such as Yola noardth, nordh (“north”), North Frisian noor, nord, nuurd, Nuurđ (“north”), Saterland Frisian Noude, Nudde (“north”), West Frisian noard (“north”), Dutch noord (“north”), German Nord (“north”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk nord (“north”), Faroese, Icelandic norður (“north”), Swedish nord, norr (“north”); also with Ancient Greek νέρτερος (nérteros), ἐνέρτερος (enérteros, “below”), Russian нора (nora, “hole”), Lithuanian nėrõvė (“mermaid, nymph”), Oscan 𐌍𐌄𐌓𐌕𐌓𐌀𐌊 (nertrak, “left”), Umbrian nertru (“left”), Sanskrit नरक (naraka, “hell”), Tocharian B ñor (“below”).

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Etymology 4

Etymology 5

English surname, from the adjective north. This is also translated from other surnames of the same meaning, such as Irish Mac an Ultaigh (“son of the Ulsterman”), Ulster being the northern part of Ireland.

Etymology 6

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