compas

See also: compás and compàs

English

Noun

compas (uncountable)

1. (music) A form of string music from Haiti

Anagrams

• campos, mocaps, scampo

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French compas, from Latin com- + passus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.pa/, /kɔ̃.pɑ/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

compas m (plural compas)

1. pair of compasses
2. (nautical, aviation) magnetic compass
3. (music) a genre of modern Haitian music descended from the traditional style méringue

Derived terms

• avoir le compas dans l’œil

Descendants

• → Portuguese: compasso
• → Burmese: ကွန်ပါ (kwanpa)
• → Romanian: compas

Further reading

• “compas”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• compace, compase, compass, compasse, cumpas, cumpasse

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French compas, from Medieval Latin compassus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkumpas/, /kumˈpas/, /kumˈpaːs/

Noun

compas (plural compasses)

1. Guile, craft or an instance of it; the use of skill or sleight-of hand.
2. A scheme or plan, especially one formulated in secrecy or with malicious intent.
3. A circular shape (i.e. a circle, curve or sphere) or a region bounded by one.
4. The boundary or totality of the margins or edges of a region or zone; that which surrounds.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Apocalips 4:4, page 118v, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     ⁊ in þe cumpas of þe ſeete.· weren foure ⁊ twentı ſmale ſeetıs ⁊ abouen þe troones foure ⁊ twentı eldere men ſıttynge. hılıd aboute wıþ whıte cloþıs.· ⁊ in þe heedıs of hem golden coꝛouns

     And around the perimeter of the seat there were twenty-four small seats, and on those seats twenty-four elders sat, wearing white clothing and having golden crowns on their heads.

5. An area, region or zone; space or coverage with fixed or demarcated boundaries.
6. The size, extent, or magnitude of something (usually in area or dimension)
7. A compass (device or tool for drawing or demarcating a circle)
8. (rare) The appearance, visage or design of a piece of craftsmanship.

Related terms

• compassen
• compassement
• compassynge
• encompassen

Descendants

• English: compass

References

• “cǒmpā̆s, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-22.

Adverb

compas (rare)

1. Following a circle-shaped course or perimeter.
2. Having a specified circle-shaped course or perimeter.

Descendants

• English: compass (obsolete as an adverb)

References

• “cǒmpā̆s, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-22.

Norman

Alternative forms

• coumpas (continental Normandy)
• kõpaa (Sark)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (Jersey)

  (file)

Noun

compas m (plural compas)

1. (Jersey) compass, dividers

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French compas.

Noun

compas n (plural compasuri)

1. pair of compasses

Declension

Declension of compas

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) compas	compasul	(niște) compasuri	compasurile
genitive/dative	(unui) compas	compasului	(unor) compasuri	compasurilor
vocative	compasule		compasurilor

Spanish

Noun

compas m pl

1. plural of compa