Word.ws English Dictionary

boxed the compass

boxed the compass is the simple past and past participle of box the compass.

Meaning of box the compass

Verb

box the compass (third-person singular simple present boxes the compass, present participle boxing the compass, simple past and past participle boxed the compass)

  1. To know, and demonstrate by reciting, the 32 points and quarter points of the magnetic compass from North or East, both clockwise and anticlockwise.
    • While in the school-ships the boys would be instructed in the elements of an ordinary education, in addition to being taught to row, heave the lead, box the compass, go aloft, reef, steer, and work the guns.1859 September 30, The Times, page 10
  2. (idiomatic) To make a complete reversal in stance or opinion.

Questions about boxed the compass

What is boxed the compass the simple past and past participle of?
Boxed the compass is the simple past and past participle of box the compass.

Words near boxed the compass in the dictionary

  1. boxed set
  2. boxed sets
  3. boxed someone's ears
  4. boxed standard
  5. boxed standards
  6. boxed the compass
  7. boxed the Jesuit
  8. boxed up
  9. boxel
  10. boxelder
  11. boxelders

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: boxed the compass (page history and authors); box the compass (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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