to box the compass
Preserved but no longer current.
A nautical phrase meaning to name the thirty-two points of the compass m their correct order. Hence, a wind is said "to box the compass" when in^a short space of time it blows from every quarter in succession; hence, the figurative use of the term — to go right round, in political views, etc., or m direction, and to end at one's starting-place.
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 “to box the compass” mean?
A nautical phrase meaning to name the thirty-two points of the compass m their correct order. Hence, a wind is said "to box the compass" when in^a short space of time it blows from every quarter in succession; hence, the figurative use of the term — to go right round, in political views, etc., or m direction, and to end at one's starting-place.
Is “to box the compass” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.