south

south [south]

n.

[ME < OE suth, akin to OHG sund-, ON suthr < Gmc * suntha- (understood as sun side < IE * sun-,SUN¹), prob. < * swintha-, strong, SOUND², to the right side, in reference to the east-facing position during prayer]

1. the direction to the left of a person facing the sunset; direction of the South Pole from any other point on the earth's surface

2. the point on a compass at 180°, directly opposite north

3. a region or district in or toward this direction

4. [often S-] the southern part of the earth, esp. the antarctic regions

adj.

1. in, of, to, toward, or facing the south

2. from the south [a south wind]

3. [S-] designating the southern part of a continent, country, etc. [South Asia]

adv.

in or toward the south; in a southerly direction

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☆ go south

Informal to decline, deteriorate, fail, etc. [stock prices went south]

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the South

☆ that part of the U.S. which is bounded on the north by the southern border of Pa., the Ohio River, and the eastern and northern borders of Mo.; specif., in the Civil War, the Confederacy