NORTHERLY

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does northerly mean? 

• NORTHERLY (noun)
  The noun NORTHERLY has 1 sense:

1. a wind that blows from the north

  Familiarity information: NORTHERLY used as a noun is very rare.

• NORTHERLY (adjective)
  The adjective NORTHERLY has 2 senses:

1. situated in or oriented toward the north

2. coming from the north; used especially of wind

  Familiarity information: NORTHERLY used as an adjective is rare.

• NORTHERLY (adverb)
  The adverb NORTHERLY has 1 sense:

1. in a northern direction

  Familiarity information: NORTHERLY used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NORTHERLY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A wind that blows from the north

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

boreas; north wind; norther; northerly

Hypernyms ("northerly" is a kind of...):

air current; current of air; wind (air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "northerly"):

bise; bize (a dry cold north wind in southeastern France)

mistral (a strong north wind that blows in France during the winter)

tramontana; tramontane (a cold dry wind that blows south out of the mountains into Italy and the western Mediterranean)

• NORTHERLY (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Situated in or oriented toward the north

Synonyms:

northerly; northern

Context example:

going in a northerly direction

Similar:

north (situated in or facing or moving toward or coming from the north)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Coming from the north; used especially of wind

Synonyms:

northerly; northern

Context example:

the winds are northerly

Similar:

north (situated in or facing or moving toward or coming from the north)

Derivation:

norther (a wind that blows from the north)

• NORTHERLY (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In a northern direction

Synonyms:

north; northerly; northward; northwards

Context example:

Let's go north!

Pertainym:

northerly (situated in or oriented toward the north)

 Context examples 

They spread out and struck a northerly course across the ocean.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

With a northerly breeze it lies placid and sheltered, inviting the storm-tossed craft to tack into it for rest and protection.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We thought it best to hold on the same course, rather than turn more northerly, which might have brought us to the north-west part of Great Tartary, and into the Frozen Sea.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

About half a dozen men came forward; and, one being selected by the magistrate, he deposed that he had been out fishing the night before with his son and brother-in-law, Daniel Nugent, when, about ten o’clock, they observed a strong northerly blast rising, and they accordingly put in for port.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The five boats went over the side with a rush, spread out like the ribs of a fan, and set a northerly course, as on the preceding afternoon, for us to follow.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

By midday, though we were well up in the northerly latitudes, the heat was sickening.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)