Definition of Compass

Com´pass   Pronunciation: kŭm´pas
n.1.A passing round; circuit; circuitous course.
They fetched a compass of seven day's journey.
- 2 Kings iii. 9.
2.An inclosing limit; boundary; circumference; as, within the compass of an encircling wall.
3.An inclosed space; an area; extent.
Their wisdom . . . lies in a very narrow compass.
- Addison.
4.Extent; reach; sweep; capacity; sphere; as, the compass of his eye; the compass of imagination.
The compass of his argument.
- Wordsworth.
5.Moderate bounds, limits of truth; moderation; due limits; - used with within.
6.(Mus.) The range of notes, or tones, within the capacity of a voice or instrument.
You would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass.
- Shak.
7.An instrument for determining directions upon the earth's surface by means of a magnetized bar or needle turning freely upon a pivot and pointing in a northerly and southerly direction.
8.A pair of compasses.
To fix one foot of their compass wherever they please.
- Swift.
9.A circle; a continent.
Azimuth compass
See under Azimuth.
Beam compass
See under Beam.
Compass card
the circular card attached to the needles of a mariner's compass, on which are marked the thirty-two points or rhumbs.
Compass dial
a small pocket compass fitted with a sundial to tell the hour of the day.
Compass plane
(Carp.) a plane, convex in the direction of its length on the under side, for smoothing the concave faces of curved woodwork.
Compass plant
(Bot.) a plant of the American prairies (Silphium laciniatum), not unlike a small sunflower; rosinweed. Its lower and root leaves are vertical, and on the prairies are disposed to present their edges north and south.
v. t.1.To go about or entirely round; to make the circuit of.
[imp. & p. p. Compassed (kŭm"past); p. pr. & vb. n. Compassing.]
Ye shall compass the city seven times.
- Josh. vi. 4.
We the globe can compass soon.
- Shak.
2.To inclose on all sides; to surround; to encircle; to environ; to invest; to besiege; - used with about, round, around, and round about.
Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round.
- Luke xix. 43.
3.To reach round; to circumvent; to get within one's power; to obtain; to accomplish.
If I can check my erring love, I will:
If not, to compass her I'll use my skill.
- Shak.
How can you hope to compass your designs?
- Denham.
4.To curve; to bend into a circular form.
5.(Law) To purpose; to intend; to imagine; to plot.


Related Words

Gyrosin compass, Johansson block, RDF, T square, accept, accomplish, achieve, acquire, aesthetic distance, alentours, ambience, ambit, amount, annex, attain, beleaguer, beset, besiege, blockade, border line, borderlands, bound, boundaries, boundary, boundary condition, boundary line, bounds, bourn, bourns, box in, break boundary, breakoff point, bring off, bring through, cage, caliber, calipers, carry, carry off, catch, ceiling, chain, chamber, chromatic scale, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circulate, circumambiencies, circumambulate, circumference, circumjacencies, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumscription, circumstances, circumvent, clearance, close, close in, close the circle, come full circle, compass about, comprehend, confine, confines, consummate, contain, context, coop, coop in, coop up, coordinates, cordon, cordon off, corral, crown with success, cut, cutoff, cutoff point, cycle, deadline, deal with, deep space, degree, delimitation, depths of space, describe a circle, determinant, dial, diapason, dig, dipstick, direction finder, discharge, dispatch, dispose of, distance, divergence, dividers, division line, do, do the job, do the trick, dodecuple scale, domain, edges, effect, effectuate, embay, embosom, embrace, enact, encircle, enclasp, enclose, enclosure, encompass, end, enfold, enharmonic scale, enshrine, entourage, envelop, environ, environing circumstances, environment, environs, enwrap, execute, extension, extent, extremity, farness, feeler gauge, fence in, fetch, field, finish, flank, floor, foot rule, fringes, frontier, fulfill, gain, gamut, gauge block, gestalt, get, get by, gird, girdle, girdle the globe, go about, go around, go round, go the round, goniometer, grade, gradiometer, graduated scale, grasp, great scale, gyre, gyrocompass, gyroscopic compass, gyrostatic compass, habitat, have, hedge, hedge in, height, hem, hem in, high-water mark, house in, impound, imprison, incarcerate, include, inertial navigation system, infinity, interface, interval, invest, involve, jail, kennel, knock off, land, lap, leaguer, leap, leeway, length, level, light-years, limen, limit, limitation, limitations, limiting factor, limits, line, line of demarcation, log, log line, loran, low-water mark, lower limit, magnetic compass, magnetic needle, major scale, make, make a circuit, manage, march, marches, margin, mark, measure, melodic minor, mete, meterstick, metes, metes and bounds, mew, mew up, micrometer, mileage, milieu, minor scale, needle, neighborhood, notch, nuance, obtain, octant, octave scale, orbit, outlines, outposts, outskirts, pale, parameters, parsecs, pas, peg, pen, pen in, pentatonic scale, perform, perimeter, period, periphery, perspective, piece, pitch, plane, plateau, plumb, plumb rule, pocket, point, polish off, precincts, procure, produce, proportion, protractor, pull off, purlieus, purview, put away, put over, put through, quadrant, quarantine, radio compass, radio direction finder, radius, rail in, range, ratio, reach, realize, register, remoteness, remove, restriction, revolve, ring, rod, round, rule, ruler, rung, scale, scope, sector, secure, see, separation, set square, sextant, shade, shadow, shoran, shrine, shut in, shut up, situation, skirt, skirts, space, span, spectrum, sphere, spiral, spirit level, square, stable, stair, standard, start, starting line, starting point, step, stint, stretch, stride, suburbs, succeed, surround, surroundings, sweep, take care of, take in, tape, tape measure, tapeline, target date, temperament, term, terminal date, terminus, theodolite, threshold, time allotment, total environment, transit, transit theodolite, tread, try square, tuning, turn the trick, twig, understand, upper limit, verges, vernier, vernier caliper, vicinage, vicinity, wall in, way, ways, wheel, whole-tone scale, win, work, work out, wrap, yard, yard up, yardstick


Search

Word:

Browse

Comparable
Comparate
Comparation
Comparative
Comparative anatomy
Comparative grammar
Comparative sciences
Comparatively
Comparator
Compare
Comparer
Comparison
Comparison of hands
comparison-shop
Compart
Compartition
Compartment
compartmental
compartmented
Compartner
compass board
Compass card
Compass dial
Compass plane
Compass plant
Compassable
Compassed
Compasses
Compassing
Compassion
Compassionable
Compassionate
Compassionately
Compassionateness
Compassless
Compaternity
Compatibility
Compatible
Compatibleness
Compatibly
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
© 2008 Interapple, Inc.Cover