box the compass
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: to box the compass
Sense 1
To know or understand something thoroughly
Examples
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
To say or repeat the mariner's compass, not only backwards or forwards, but also to be able to answer any and all questions respecting its divisions. SEA TERM.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 3
to repeat the thirty-two points of the compass either in succession or irregularly. The method used at sea to teach boys the points of the mariner’s compass.—Sea.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “box the compass” mean?
To know or understand something thoroughly Literally: to name all 32 points of the compass in order
Is “box the compass” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.