north
Meanings
- 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.
- The up or positive direction.
- 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).
- Alternative letter-case form of North (“a northern region; the inhabitants thereof”).
- In a church: the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar.
- Of or pertaining to the north; northern.
- Toward the north; northward.
- Of wind, from the north.
- Pertaining to the part of a corridor used by northbound traffic.
- Designating, or situated in, the liturgical north (in a church, the direction to the left-hand side of a person facing the altar).
- More or greater than.
- Toward the north; northward; northerly.
- To turn or move toward the north.
- Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
- The northern states of the United States.
- The Union during the American Civil War.
- The North of England, a cultural region.
- Northern Ireland.
- North Korea.
- The northern part of any of various other countries or regions.
- 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.
- A surname.
- A civil parish in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada, named for its location.
- A town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States, named after John North.
- 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.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
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”).