| 释义 |
north-west, adv., n., and a.|nɔːθˈwɛst|
[f. north and west: cf. MDu. noortwest (Du. noord-), OHG. nord-, northuuest, G. nordwest, Da. and Sw. nordvest; also F. nordouest († north-, nort-, nor-), Sp. nordovest, norueste, Pg. noroeste.
OE. had also norðanwestan, from the north-west.]
A. adv.
1. In the direction intermediate between north and west.
c893K. ælfred Oros. i. i. 24 An ðæra garena lið suðwest..& se ðridda norðwest onᵹean Brigantia. 931in Birch Cartul. Sax. II. 358 Of ðære flodan norð west to ðære miclan apoldre. 14..Sailing Directions (Hakluyt, 1889) 11 The streme settith North West and Southest. 1509Hawes Past. Pleasure xiv. (Percy Soc.) 53 In the stormy pery Mercury northwest thou mayst se appere. 1594Blundevil Exerc. iv. xxiii. (1636) 479, I find..that the said starre setteth Northwest and by West. 1612Capt. Smith Descr. Virg. Wks. (Arb.) 52 The greatest [river]..is called Quiyough and trendeth north west. 1703Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1721) Add. 6 Our Course..was North West and by North. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 303 We stood northward again, and then north-west. 1809[see the n.]. 1880C. R. Markham Peruv. Bark 371 The valley runs north-west and south-east.
b. From this direction.
1870Morris Earthly Par. II. iii. 382 The south-east wind..changed, and northwest now it blew.
2. quasi-n. = next.
14..Sailing Directions (Hakluyt, 1889) 11 Yif..the wynde be at Northwest your cours is Southest. Ibid. 14 Bery land est and by north west. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 301 A fresh gale at north-west-by-west. 1806A. Duncan Nelson 61 The French had sailed..with a fresh gale at north-west.
B. n. The direction or region lying between north and west; spec. the North-west Territories of Canada.
1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 69 A citee in þe contre of Norþ Engelond toward þe norþ west. 1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) II. 71 A place..at the northe weste of hit. 1610Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 631 In the utmost angle..toward the North-West. 1662J. Davies tr. Mandelslo's Trav. 248 The wind changed, and came to the north-west. 1719De Foe Crusoe ii. (Globe) 571 Till we came round the Pole, and consequently into the North-West. 1778W. Robertson Hist. Amer. (1783) I. 142 After this..he advanced towards the north-west. 1809A. Henry Trav. 239, I was now in what is technically called the north-west; that is, the country north-west of Lake Superior. 1874Encycl. Brit. IV. 766/1 The vast prairie lands of the great north-west thus embraced within the Dominion.
C. adj.
1. Of the wind: Blowing from the north-west.
Perhaps representing OE. norðanwestanwind.
1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xi. iii. (Bodl. MS.), Borias..haþ bi his sides..þe norþeweste winde. 1483Cath. Angl. 256/1 Þ⊇ Northe west wynde; circius. 1572Huloet s.v., Ptol. calleth the Northweast wynde Chorus. 1612Capt. Smith Descr. Virg. Wks. (Arb.) 48 The Northwest winde is commonly coole. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 13 We met with..a north-west blast, which carried us..a great way off to sea. 1806A. Duncan Nelson 60 The enemy had sailed with a north-west wind.
2. North-west Passage, a passage for vessels along the north coast of America, formerly thought of as a possible channel for navigation between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
1600Hakluyt Voy. III. A 4, The voyage of Sebastian Cabota.., for the discouery of a Northwest passage. 1631J. Done Polydoron 152 The Philosophers Stone is like the Northwest Passage lockt up in Strechio Davies, but not so cold in Seeking. 1697W. Dampier Voy. (1699) 273, I know there have been divers attempts made about a North West Passage and all unsuccessful. 1725[see passage n. 11]. 1753Chambers Cycl. Suppl. s.v., A north-west passage by Hudson's bay, into the pacific ocean. 1820W. Scoresby Acc. Arctic Reg. I. 17 The existence of a ‘north-west passage’ is not yet either proved or refuted. 1857Armstrong (title), A Personal Narrative of the Discovery of the North West Passage. 1867Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 500 The north-west passage..was..solved by H.M.S. Investigator..reaching the western end of Barrow's Straits.
fig.1670Clarendon Ess. Tracts (1727) 145 It [industry] is the North-west Passage that brings the merchant's ships..to him. 1823Byron Juan xiii. xxxix, They are a North-West Passage Unto the glowing India of the soul. 1831Carlyle Sart. Res. ii. v, That shorter North-west Passage to thy fair Spice-country of a Nowhere.
b. Hence North-west discovery. Also fig.
1600Hakluyt Voy. III. 45 Certaine Gentlemen that went with M. Frobisher in his North west discouerie. 1638Chillingw. Relig. Prot. i. v. §91. 292 Search your storehouse, M. Brerely, who hath travailed as farre in this Northwest discovery, as it was possible for humane industry.
3. Pertaining to the north-west; situated in the north-west part of a country, etc.
1827Gentl. Mag. XCVII. ii. 390 The nearly ascertained site of the North-west Magnetic pole. 1836W. Irving Astoria (1849) 120 Numbers of men of this class were scattered throughout the northwest territories. 1864Chambers's Encycl. VI. 797 The area of the North-West Provinces is 116,493 square miles. |