n.; pl. Bow-compasses 1. An arcograph. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A small pair of compasses, one leg of which carries a pencil, or a pen, for drawing circles. Its legs are often connected by a bow-shaped spring, instead of by a joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A pair of compasses, with a bow or arched plate riveted to one of the legs, and passing through the other. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mech.) A by-passage, for a pipe, or other channel, to divert circulation from the usual course. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A passage different from the usual one; a byway. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. compas, fr. LL. compassus circle, prop., a stepping together; com- + passus pace, step. See Pace, Pass. ] 1. A passing round; circuit; circuitous course. [ 1913 Webster ]

They fetched a compass of seven day's journey. 2 Kings iii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

This day I breathed first; time is come round,
And where I did begin, there shall I end;
My life is run his compass. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An inclosing limit; boundary; circumference; as, within the compass of an encircling wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An inclosed space; an area; extent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their wisdom . . . lies in a very narrow compass. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Extent; reach; sweep; capacity; sphere; as, the compass of his eye; the compass of imagination. [ 1913 Webster ]

The compass of his argument. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Moderate bounds, limits of truth; moderation; due limits; -- used with within. [ 1913 Webster ]

In two hundred years before (I speak within compass), no such commission had been executed. Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mus.) The range of notes, or tones, within the capacity of a voice or instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

You would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. An instrument for determining directions upon the earth's surface by means of a magnetized bar or needle turning freely upon a pivot and pointing in a northerly and southerly direction. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that first discovered the use of the compass did more for the supplying and increase of useful commodities than those who built workhouses. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A pair of compasses. [ R. ] See Compasses.

To fix one foot of their compass wherever they please. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. A circle; a continent. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The tryne compas [ the threefold world containing earth, sea, and heaven. Skeat. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Azimuth compass. See under Azimuth. --
Beam compass. See under Beam. --
Compass card, the circular card attached to the needles of a mariner's compass, on which are marked the thirty-two points or rhumbs. --
Compass dial, a small pocket compass fitted with a sundial to tell the hour of the day. --
Compass plane (Carp.), a plane, convex in the direction of its length on the under side, for smoothing the concave faces of curved woodwork. --
Compass plant,
Compass flower (Bot.), a plant of the American prairies (Silphium laciniatum), not unlike a small sunflower; rosinweed. Its lower and root leaves are vertical, and on the prairies are disposed to present their edges north and south. [ 1913 Webster ]

Its leaves are turned to the north as true as the magnet:
This is the compass flower. Longefellow.

--
Compass saw, a saw with a narrow blade, which will cut in a curve; -- called also fret saw and keyhole saw. --
Compass timber (Shipbuilding), curved or crooked timber. --
Compass window (Arch.), a circular bay window or oriel window. --
Mariner's compass, a kind of compass used in navigation. It has two or more magnetic needles permanently attached to a card, which moves freely upon a pivot, and is read with reference to a mark on the box representing the ship's head. The card is divided into thirty-two points, called also rhumbs, and the glass-covered box or bowl containing it is suspended in gimbals within the binnacle, in order to preserve its horizontal position. --
Surveyor's compass, an instrument used in surveying for measuring horizontal angles. See Circumferentor. --
Variation compass, a compass of delicate construction, used in observations on the variations of the needle. --
To fetch a compass, to make a circuit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Compassed p. pr. & vb. n. Compassing. ] [ F. compasser, LL. compassare. ] 1. To go about or entirely round; to make the circuit of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye shall compass the city seven times. Josh. vi. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

We the globe can compass soon. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To inclose on all sides; to surround; to encircle; to environ; to invest; to besiege; -- used with about, round, around, and round about. [ 1913 Webster ]

With terrors and with clamors compassed round. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now all the blessings
Of a glad father compass thee about. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round. Luke xix. 43. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To reach round; to circumvent; to get within one's power; to obtain; to accomplish. [ 1913 Webster ]

If I can check my erring love, I will:
If not, to compass her I'll use my skill. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

How can you hope to compass your designs? Denham. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To curve; to bend into a circular form. [ Obs. except in carpentry and shipbuilding. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) To purpose; to intend; to imagine; to plot. [ 1913 Webster ]

Compassing and imagining the death of the king are synonymous terms; compassing signifying the purpose or design of the mind or will, and not, as in common speech, the carrying such design to effect. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being compassed or accomplished. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Rounded; arched. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

She came . . . into the compassed window. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n., pl. An instrument for describing circles, measuring figures, etc., consisting of two, or (rarely) more, pointed branches, or legs, usually joined at the top by a rivet on which they move. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The compasses for drawing circles have adjustable pen points, pencil points, etc.; those used for measuring without adjustable points are generally called dividers. See Dividers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bow compasses. See Bow-compass. --
Caliber compasses,
Caliper compasses. See Calipers. --
Proportional,
Triangular, etc.,
compasses. See under Proportional, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Shipbuilding) Curved; bent; as, compassing timbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. L. compassio, fr. compati to have compassion; com- + pati to bear, suffer. See Patient. ] Literally, suffering with another; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. [ 1913 Webster ]

Womanly ingenuity set to work by womanly compassion. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Pity; sympathy; commiseration; fellow-feeling; mercy; condolence. See Pity. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To pity. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Deserving compassion or pity; pitiable. [ R. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having a temper or disposition to pity; sympathetic; merciful. [ 1913 Webster ]

There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Complaining; inviting pity; pitiable. [ R. ] Shak.

Syn. -- Sympathizing; tender; merciful; pitiful. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Compassionated p. pr. & vb. n. Compassionating ] To have compassion for; to pity; to commiserate; to sympathize with. [ 1913 Webster ]

Compassionates my pains, and pities me. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a compassionate manner; mercifully. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being compassionate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no compass. Knowles. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Counter- + passant: cf. F. contrepassant. ] (Her.) Passant in opposite directions; -- said of two animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Free from warmth of passion or feeling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Freedom from passion; an undisturbed state; apathy. Sir W. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Free from passion; not warped, prejudiced, swerved, or carried away by passion or feeling; judicial; calm; composed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wise and dispassionate men. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not dictated by passion; not proceeding from temper or bias; impartial; as, dispassionate proceedings; a dispassionate view.

Syn. -- Calm; cool; composed serene; unimpassioned; temperate; moderate; impartial; unruffled.

-- Dis*pas"sion*ate*ly, adv. -- Dis*pas"sion*ate*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Free from passion; dispassionate. [ R. ] “Dispassioned men.” Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To move with passion; to affect strongly. See Impassion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Those sights empassion me full near. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Strongly affected. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The Briton Prince was sore empassionate. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Encompassed p. pr. & vb. n. Encompassing. ] To circumscribe or go round so as to surround closely; to encircle; to inclose; to environ; as, a ring encompasses the finger; an army encompasses a city; a voyage encompassing the world. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A question may be encompassed with difficulty. C. J. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

The love of all thy sons encompass thee. Tennyson.

Syn. -- To encircle; inclose; surround; include; environ; invest; hem in; shut up. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. closely enveloping or surrounding on all sides.
Syn. -- ambient, enveloping, surrounding(prenominal). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The act of surrounding, or the state of being surrounded; circumvention. [ 1913 Webster ]

By this encompassment and drift of question. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ F. ] In passing; in the course of any procedure; -- said specif. (Chess), of the taking of an adverse pawn which makes a first move of two squares by a pawn already so advanced as to threaten the first of these squares. The pawn which takes en passant is advanced to the threatened square. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. & i. To pass by or along; to pass over. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. Unpassable. ] Incapable of being passed; not admitting a passage; as, an impassable road, mountain, or gulf. Milton. -- Im*pass"a*ble*ness, n. -- Im*pass"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] An impassable road or way; a blind alley; cul-de-sac; fig., a position or predicament affording no escape.

The issue from the present impasse will, in all probability, proceed from below, not from above. Arnold White. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ L. impassibilitas: cf. F. impassibilité. ] The quality or condition of being impassible; insusceptibility of injury from external things. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impassibilis; pref. im- not + passibilis passable: cf. F. impassible. See Passible. ] Incapable of suffering; inaccessible to harm or pain; not to be touched or moved to passion or sympathy; unfeeling, or not showing feeling; without sensation. “Impassible to the critic.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

Secure of death, I should contemn thy dart
Though naked, and impassible depart. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Impassibility. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. im- in + passion. Cf. Empassion, Impassionate, v. ] To move or affect strongly with passion. [ Archaic ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Excitable; susceptible of strong emotion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Strongly affected. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To affect powerfully; to arouse the passions of. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. im- not + passionate. ] Without passion or feeling. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. & a. Actuated or characterized by passion or zeal; showing warmth of feeling; ardent; animated; excited; as, an impassioned orator or discourse. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not susceptible of pain or suffering; apathetic; impassible; unmoved. [ 1913 Webster ]

Impassive as the marble in the quarry. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

On the impassive ice the lightings play. Pope.

-- Im*pas"sive*ly, adv. -- Im*pas"sive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an absence of emotion.
Syn. -- apathy, impassivity. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The quality of being insusceptible of feeling, pain, or suffering; impassiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Encompass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. in- not + compassion: cf. F. incompassion. ] Lack of compassion or pity. [ Obs. ] Bp. Sanderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not compassionate; void of pity or of tenderness; remorseless. -- In`com*pas"sion*ate*ly, adv. -- In`com*pas"sion*ate*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Football) 1. A short pass to a receiver who is upfield from the passer, i.e. is behind the passer relative to the direction of the passer's goal. [ PJC ]

2. A part or extension of something that points sideways, as a drift in a mine that goes to the side from the main one. [ PJC ]

n. An device using a magnet (such as a magnetic needle) to indicate the direction of magnetic north. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Wrong passion or feeling. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To exceed the compass or limits of. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]