north

Universal Words noun, adjective, adverb noun [U,sing.] (abbreviation N, No.) 1 (usually the north) the direction that is on your left when you watch the sun rise; one of the four main points of the COMPASS: Which way is north? * cold winds coming from the north. * Mount Kenya is to the north of (= further north than) Nairobi. compareEAST, SOUTH, WEST seealsoMAGNETICNORTH, TRUENORTH 2 (the north, the North) the northern part of a country, a region or the world: birds migrating from the north * Houses are less expensive in the North (= of England) than in the South. 3 (the North) the NE states of the US which fought against the South in the American Civil War 4 (the North) the richer and more developed countries of the world, especially in Europe and N America adjective [onlybeforenoun] 1 (abbreviation N, No.) in or towards the north: North London * the north bank of the river 2 a north wind blows from the north compareNORTHERLY adverb towards the north: The house faces north. IDIOMS up north (informal) to or in the north of a country, especially England: They've gone to live up north.