compass

plural compasses

1. A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north).

   1689/1690, John Locke, On improvement of understanding He that […] first discovered the use of the compass […] did more for the propagation of knowledge […] than those who built workhouses.

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   [H]ow many Seas to our fore-fathers impaſſable, for want of the Compaſſe?

   1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “Of the Improvement of Nauigation in Later Times, […]”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 1st part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, 2nd book, § I, page 2

   a glance at his compass would have shown him that a northerly course instead of an easterly could not be right

   1890, Wilhelm Westhofen, The Forth Bridge

   Synonyms: magnetic compass

2. A pair of compasses (a device used to draw circular arcs and transfer length measurements).

   to fix one foot of their compass wherever they please

   1701, Jonathan Swift, chapter 5, in A Discourse of the Contests and Dissensions between the Nobles and the Commons in Athens and Rome

3. entertainmentThe range of notes of a musical instrument or voice.

   You would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

4. obsoleteA space within limits; an area.

   Clara thought she had never seen him look so small and mean. He was as if trying to get himself into the smallest possible compass.

   1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Chapter 14”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC

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   In going up the Missisippi ^([sic]), we meet with nothing remarkable before we come to the Detour aux Anglois, the English Reach: in that part the river takes a large compass.

   1763, M. Le Page Du Pratz, History of Louisiana, PG, page 47

   Animals, in their generation, are wiser than the sons of men but their wisdom is confined to a few particulars, and lies in a very narrow compass.

   1711, Joseph Addison, The Spectator

   Among tank engines, the 0-6-2 wheel arrangement was by far the most numerous, there being nearly 450 of this arrangement, which offers the advantage of good power and adhesive weight, coupled with adequate tank and bunker capacity, within a limited compass.

   1939 September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, in Railway Magazine, page 161

5. obsoleteAn enclosing limit; a boundary, a circumference.

   within the compass of an encircling wall

6. Moderate bounds, limits of truth; moderation; due limits; used with within.

   "Saints!" she cried, "but what a noise you keep! Can you not speak in compass?"

   1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In Mine Enemies' House”, in The Black Arrow

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   In two hundred years before (I speak within compass), no such commission had been executed.

   c. 1610, John Davies, Historical Tracts

7. formalSynonym of scope.

   the compass of his argument

   c. 1806–1809 (date written), William Wordsworth, “(please specify the page)”, in The Excursion, being a Portion of The Recluse, a Poem, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], published 1814, →OCLC

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   There is a truth and falsehood in all propositions on this subject, and a truth and falsehood, which lie not beyond the compass of human understanding.

   1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral, Oxford University Press, published 1973, section 8

   How very commonly we hear it remarked that such and such thoughts are beyond the compass of words! I do not believe that any thought, properly so called, is out of the reach of language.

   1844, Edgar Allan Poe, Marginalia

   The 1664 pages of this Collegiate make it the most comprehensive ever published. And its treatment of words is as nearly exhaustive as the compass of an abridged work permits.

   2003, Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, Merriam-Webster, →ISBN, page 6a

   Synonyms: scope

8. obsoleteRange, reach.

   Then when our powers in points of ſwords are ioin’d And cloſde in compaſſe of the killing bullet, Though ſtraite the paſſage and the port be made, That leads to Pallace of my brothers life, Proud is his fortune if we pierce it not.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene i

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   Lou's not Times foole, though roſie lips and cheeks VVithin his bending ſickles compaſſe come, Loue alters not with his breefe houres and vveekes, But beares it out euen to the edge of doome: If this be error and vpon me proued, I neuer vvrit, nor no man euer loued.

   1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 116”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC, signature H, recto

9. obsoleteA passing round; circuit; circuitous course.

   They fetched a compass of seven days' journey.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Kings iii:9

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   This day I breathed first; time is come round, / And where I did begin, there shall I end; / My life is run his compass.

   1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]

   Kim slid out quietly into the night, walked half round the house, keeping close to the walls, and headed away from the station for a mile or so. Then, fetching a wide compass, he worked back at leisure, for he needed time to invent a story if any of Mahbub's retainers asked questions.

   1901, Rudyard Kipling, Kim

10. architectureA curved circular form.

present singular third person compasses · participle present compassing · participle past compassed · past compassed

1. To surround; to encircle; to environ; to stretch round.

   Now all the blessings Of a glad father compass thee about!

   1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]

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   And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 2:13

   Jack was called plucky, and he was, but it took all the strength of will that the slim, resolute engineer possessed, to hold him to his purpose, when he faced about and surveyed the unimpassive faces which compassed him.

   1899, Martha Frye Boggs, Jack Crews, page 237

   Synonyms: encircle, environ, surround

2. To go about or round entirely; to traverse.

   So she goeth around the hill compassing.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 174

   Synonyms: cover, traverse

3. datedTo accomplish; to reach; to achieve; to obtain.

   [...] they never find ways sufficient to compass that end.

   1763, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, translated by M. Nugent, Emilius; or, an essay on education, page 117

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   […] tho' theſe ſeem'd to be very unfit Inſtruments for compaſſing of that great Deſign for which they were then employ'd, becauſe of their Inability and Uncapacity in performing the Work ſo very great and important; […]

   1720, John Shaw, “Of Religion”, in The Fundamental Doctrines of the Church of England, […], volume I, London: […] George Strahan, […] William Mears, […], page 36

   [...] to settle the end of our action or disputation; and then to take fit and effectual means to compass that end.

   1816, Catholicon: or, the Christian Philosopher, volume 3, July to December 1816, page 56

   [...] and was an artful flatterer, when that was necessary to compass his end, in which generally he was successful.

   1857, Gilbert Burnet, Bishop Burnet's History of His Own Time: from the Restoration of King Charles the Second to the Treaty of Peace at Utrecht in the Reign of Queen Anne, page 657

   The immediate problem is how to compass that end: by the seizure of territory or by the cultivation of the goodwill of the people whose business she seeks.

   1921 November 23, The New Republic, volume 28, number 364, page 2

   Synonyms: accomplish, achieve, attain, gain, get to, reach

4. datedTo plot; to scheme (against someone).

   That he plotted and compassed to raise Sedition and Rebellion [...]

   1600, R. Bagshaw, “The Arraignment and Judgement of Captain Thomas Lee”, in Cobbett's Complete Collection of State Trials, volume 1, published 1809, pages 1403–04

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   But it went beyond it by the loose construction of compassing to depose the King, …

   1794 November 1, Speech of Mr. Erskine in Behalf of Hardy, published in 1884, by Chauncey Allen Goodrich, in Select British Eloquence, page 719

   The Bavarian felt a mad wave of desire for her sweep over him. What scheme wouldn't he compass to mould that girl to his wishes.

   1915, The Wireless Age, volume 2, page 580

   Synonyms: conspire, plot, scheme

comparative more compass · superlative most compass

1. obsoleteIn a circuit; round about.

   [T]he Towne is impailed about halfe a mile compaſſe.

   1632, John Smith, “The Present Estate of New-Plimoth”, in Iohn [i.e., John] Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Michael Sparkes, published 1624, →OCLC, 6th booke, page 247

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   Near the same plot of ground, for about six yards compasse were digged up coals and incinerated substances, […]

   1658, Thomas Browne, “(please specify the page)”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC