Definition

1. Noun:
   • A compass point: "northwest by west" is a precise direction on a compass. It is located one compass point (11.25 degrees) to the west of the primary intercardinal direction "northwest."

Usage

• This term is used in navigation, cartography, and meteorology to specify a direction with high precision, more exact than simply "northwest."
• It is part of the traditional 32-point compass rose.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The captain set a course of northwest by west to avoid the storm.
  • The wind is coming from northwest by west, so we should adjust the sails.

Advanced Usage

• In a full bearing: Often expressed as an azimuth of 303.75 degrees (where north is 0/360 degrees).
  • The bearing to the lighthouse is northwest by west, or 303.75 degrees true.

Variants and Related Words

• Northwest (NW) (n): The primary intercardinal direction halfway between north and west.
• West-northwest (WNW) (n): The compass point halfway between west and northwest. (This is different from "northwest by west").
• Northwest by north (NWbN) (n): The compass point one point north of northwest.

Synonyms

• 303.75°: The equivalent azimuth in degree notation.
• NWbW: The standard abbreviation.

Notes

• This is a technical term from the system of compass points. It is not commonly used in everyday conversation but remains standard in specific professional fields.
• The phrase "by" in compass points like "northwest by west" means "towards" or "in the direction of." So, "northwest by west" means "northwest, tending towards west."

Noun

1. the compass point that is one point west of northwest