North-west Passage
Preserved but no longer current.
The name given to an assumed passage to China and the Orient round the north of the American continent. Attempts to find it were made in the 16th and 17th century by such sailors as the Cabots, Frobisher, Gilbert, Davis, Hudson and Baffin. In the 19th century the quest was followed by Ross, Parry, and Sir John Franklin who lost his life and the lives of his crew in the attempt.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “North-west Passage” mean?
The name given to an assumed passage to China and the Orient round the north of the American continent. Attempts to find it were made in the 16th and 17th century by such sailors as the Cabots, Frobisher, Gilbert, Davis, Hudson and Baffin. In the 19th century the quest was followed by Ross, Parry, and Sir John Franklin who lost his life and the lives of his crew in the attempt.
Is “North-west Passage” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.