-
1(also magnetic compass) [countable] an instrument for finding direction, with a needle that always points to the north a map and compass the points of the compass (= N., S., E., W., etc.)
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
- 2[countable] (also compasses [plural]) an instrument with two long thin parts joined together at the top, used for drawing circles and measuring distances on a map
- 3[singular] (formal) a range or an extent, especially of what can be achieved in a particular situation the compass of a singer's voice (= the range from the lowest to the highest note that he or she can sing)
Check pronunciation: compass