magnetic compass

English

A magnetic compass

Noun

magnetic compass (plural magnetic compasses)

(military, nautical) An instrument containing a freely suspended magnetic element which displays the direction of the horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field at the point of observation.
Synonym: (abbreviation) compass
A supposed organ, in some animals, that allows then to align themselves with the Earth's magnetic field.

Translations

instrument

Finnish: magneettinen kompassi
French: boussole magnétique f
Galician: compás magnético m
Greek: μαγνητική πυξίδα f (magnitikí pyxída)
Italian: bussola magnetica f
Japanese: 方位磁針 (ja) (hōijishin)
Polish: busola (pl) f
Romanian: busolă magnetică f
Swedish: magnetkompass c
Tagalog: balniing paraluman

References

Page 673, Webster's II New College Dictionary
Page 215, The Military Dictionary, DIANE Publishing, 1987
Page 425, A dictionary of Science, Literature and Art, William Thomas Brande, 1866 (plural form is defined)

Further reading

“magnetic compass”, in Collins English Dictionary.
JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms
“magnetic compass”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
“magnetic compass”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

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