Word.ws English Dictionary

boxing the compass

boxing the compass is the present participle and gerund 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 boxing the compass

What is boxing the compass the present participle and gerund of?
Boxing the compass is the present participle and gerund of box the compass.

Words near boxing the compass in the dictionary

  1. boxing oneself into a corner
  2. boxing out
  3. boxing ring
  4. boxing rings
  5. boxing someone's ears
  6. boxing the compass
  7. boxing the Jesuit
  8. boxing time
  9. boxing up
  10. boxing week
  11. boxing weeks

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: boxing 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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