Compass card

( Naut.) The circle-card of a mariner's compa , whereon are marked the 32 points. Com'pa -dial, n. A small pocket-compa , fitted with an horological dial. way between N. and W. is called N.W., or north-west, - Com'pa es, n . pl . ( Math .) See COMPASS. a combination of the letters of the cardinal points be- Compa -headed, a. Circular; used in ancient tween which it lies being used to denote it; that be architecture. tween N.W. and N. is called N.N.W., or north-northwest; and that between N. and N.N.W., N.W., or N. by W., as it is usually written, meaning north by west. It may be remarked that whenever a hyphen or connecting mark is used between any two letters in the diagram, the word "by" must be expre ed when reading the points of the compa ; and it will be seen that the points which lie on either side of the cardinal points, and the points that are midway between these, must be read in this