American Dictionary of the English Language

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South


SOUTH, noun

1. The north and south are opposite points in the horizon; each ninety degrees or the quarter of a great circle distant from the east and west. A man standing with his face towards the east or rising sun, has the south on his right hand. The meridian of every place is a great circle passing through the north and south points. Strictly, south is the horizontal point in the meridian of a place, on the right hand of a person standing with his face towards the east. But the word is applied to any point in the meridian, between the horizon and the zenith.

2. In a less exact sense, any point or place on the earth or in the heavens, which is near the meridian towards the right hand as one faces the east.

3. A southern region, country or place; as the queen of the south in Scriptures. So in Europe, the people of Spain and Italy are spoken of as living in the south In the United States, we speak of the states of the south and of the north.

4. The wind that blows from the north. [Not used.]

SOUTH, adjective

1. In any place north of the tropic of Cancer, pertaining to or lying in the meridian towards the sun; as a south wind.

2. Being in a southern direction; as the south sea.

SOUTH, adverb Towards the south A ship sails south; the wind blows south