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Added 5 October 2026

south

/ˈsaʊ̯θ/ noun

Categories: PlacesDescribing WordsEveryday Words

In Latin: auster, merīdiēs Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about south at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. The direction towards the pole to the right-hand side of someone facing east, specifically 180°, or (on another celestial object) the direction towards the pole lying on the southern side of the invariable plane.
    Germany is south of Denmark.
  2. The southern region or area; the inhabitants thereof. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
  3. In a church: the direction to the right-hand side of a person facing the altar.

adjective

  1. Toward the south; southward.
  2. from the south.
  3. Of or pertaining to the south; southern.

adverb

  1. Toward the south; southward.
  2. Downward.
  3. In an adverse direction or trend.
    His fortunes have been going south ever since he was tricked into investing in that ostrich farm.

verb

  1. To turn or move toward the south; to veer toward the south.
  2. To come to the meridian; to cross the north and south line.
    The moon souths at nine.

Origin

From Middle English south, from Old English sūþ, from Proto-West Germanic *sunþr (“southern”), from Proto-Germanic *sunþrą (“south”), from Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ (“sun”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: ssoutherlysouthmostsouthernmostsouthboundsouthwestwardsoutheastwardsouthwesterlysouthwardsoutheasterlysouthwestsoutheast

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