Meaning & use
a compass
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Meanings
nouncountable
An instrument with a magnetic needle that always points north, used to find direction.
Grammar: Countable; for this meaning it is usually singular, though 'compasses' also exists.
Patterns
- use a compass
- read a compass
- with a compass
- a compass points north
We used a compass to find our way back to the campsite.
The needle of the compass swung and settled on north.
Without a compass, it is easy to walk in a circle in thick fog.
nounusually plural
A V-shaped tool with two pointed legs, used for drawing circles or measuring distances on a map.
Grammar: This meaning is usually plural: 'a pair of compasses' or simply 'compasses'.
Patterns
- a pair of compasses
- draw a circle with compasses
In geometry class we drew circles with a pair of compasses.
He measured the distance on the map using compasses.
nouncountableformal
A range or limit of something, especially the range of a voice or a musical instrument.
Grammar: Countable and often used in the phrase 'within the compass of'.
Patterns
- within the compass of something
- beyond the compass of something
The song lies within the compass of most singers.
Such detailed work is beyond the compass of a single afternoon.
Word forms
| plural | compasses |
|---|
Common combinations
- use a compass
- Hikers should learn to use a compass before going into the mountains.
- a compass needle
- The compass needle pointed steadily north.
- a moral compass
- Many people look to their family as a moral compass.
- a pair of compasses
- The children each brought a pair of compasses to the math lesson.
- lose your compass
- He lost his compass and had to follow the river.
Synonyms and how they differ
- direction finder
- A more technical term for any device that shows direction; it is less common in everyday speech than 'compass'.
Word family
- compass verb
- A literary verb meaning to go around something or to understand it fully.
Commonly confused: a compass or compasses?
a compass vs compasses
The plural is normal for the drawing tool, but for the navigation instrument people usually say 'a compass' in the singular.
Practice
Without a map or a ______, we had no idea which way was north.
Choose one answer.
'A compass' is the navigation instrument that shows direction. 'Compasses' usually means the drawing tool, 'compass needle' needs 'a' before 'compass' to work here, and 'commercial' is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a compass”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.