north

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The direction along a meridian 90° counterclockwise from east; the direction to the left of sunrise.
• noun The cardinal point on the mariner's compass located at 0°.
• noun An area or region lying in the north.
• noun The northern part of the earth.
• noun The northern part of a region or country.
• noun The northern part of the United States, especially the states that fought for the Union in the Civil War.
• adjective To, toward, of, facing, or in the north.
• adjective Originating in or coming from the north.
• adverb In, from, or toward the north.
• adverb Slang Into a better condition, as of increased value.

from The Century Dictionary.

• Nautical, to move or veer toward the north.
• An abbreviation of northern.
• noun That one of the cardinal points which is on the right hand when one faces in the direction of the setting sun (west); that intersection of the horizon with the meridian which is on the right hand when one is in this position.
• noun A region, tract, or country, or a part of such, lying toward the north pole from some other region or point of reckoning.
• noun Specifically With the definite article: In United States history and politics, those States and Territories which lie north of Maryland, the Ohio river, and Missouri.
• noun The north wind.
• noun Eccles., the side of a church that is on the left hand of one who faces the altar or high altar. See east, 1.
• Being in the north; northern.
• Eccles., situated at or near that side of a church which is to the left of one facing the altar or high altar. Abbreviated N.
• To the north; in the north.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• intransitive verb To turn or move toward the north; to veer from the east or west toward the north.
• adverb Northward.
• noun That one of the four cardinal points of the compass, at any place, which lies in the direction of the true meridian, and to the left hand of a person facing the east; the direction opposite to the south.
• noun Any country or region situated farther to the north than another; the northern section of a country.
• noun Specifically: That part of the United States lying north of Mason and Dixon's line. See under Line.
• adjective Lying toward the north; situated at the north, or in a northern direction from the point of observation or reckoning; proceeding toward the north, or coming from the north.
• adjective See Following, a., 2.
• adjective that point in the heavens, or on the earth, ninety degrees from the equator toward the north.
• adjective See Following, a., 2.
• adjective the star toward which the north pole of the earth very nearly points, and which accordingly seems fixed and immovable in the sky. The star α (alpha) of the Little Bear, is our present north star, being distant from the pole about 1° 25', and from year to year approaching slowly nearer to it. It is called also Cynosura, polestar, and by astronomers, Polaris.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun One of the four major compass points, specifically 0°, directed toward the North Pole, and conventionally upwards on a map.
• noun The up or positive direction.
• noun Above or higher
• noun physics The positive or north pole of a magnet, which seeks the magnetic pole near Earth's geographic North Pole (which, for its magnetic properties, is a south pole).
• adjective Of or pertaining to the north; northern.
• adjective Toward the north; northward.
• adjective meteorology Of wind, from the north.
• adjective Pertaining to the part of a corridor used by northbound traffic.
• adverb Toward the north; northward.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun the United States (especially the northern states during the American Civil War)
• noun a location in the northern part of a country, region, or city
• noun the cardinal compass point that is at 0 or 360 degrees
• noun the direction in which a compass needle points
• noun the direction corresponding to the northward cardinal compass point
• noun British statesman under George III whose policies led to rebellion in the American colonies (1732-1792)
• adjective situated in or facing or moving toward or coming from the north
• adverb in a northern direction
• noun the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line