compass

compass — 名詞

1. a small navigational tool with a magnetised needle that turns freely and lines u

1.名詞B1
釋義

指南針

指向北方的導航工具

a small navigational tool with a magnetised needle that turns freely and lines up with the Earth's magnetic field, showing the direction of north so that you can find your way.

例句

The hiker checked her compass before stepping off the marked trail into the woods.

那位登山客在踏入樹林前先檢查了她的指南針。

collocation: check a compass

Before GPS, sailors used a compass and stars to guide ships across oceans.

在全球衛星定位系統出現之前，水手靠指南針和星星來引導船隻穿越海洋。

used in historical contexts

同義詞
  • GPS

    a modern electronic device that does the same job using satellites; more common in everyday speech today

  • sextant

    a more complex navigational instrument used with the sun or stars, not for everyday use

常見錯誤

❌The compass needle points to the north pole.
✅The compass needle points to magnetic north, which is slightly different from the true North Pole.
💡Magnetic north and true north are not the same location.

2. a drawing instrument made of two hinged legs — one with a sharp point and the ot

2.名詞B2
釋義

圓規

畫圓或測量距離的工具

a drawing instrument made of two hinged legs — one with a sharp point and the other holding a pencil — used to create circles or arcs and to compare lengths on a chart.

例句

The geometry teacher asked the class to use a compass to draw a circle.

幾何老師請全班同學用圓規畫一個圓。

use a compass + to-infinitive purpose

Priya adjusted the compass arms to match the distance between two cities on the map.

Priya 調整圓規的兩臂，使其間距對齊地圖上兩座城市的距離。

adjusted the arms of the compass

同義詞
  • pair of compasses

    the formal or traditional British name for the same tool

  • divider

    a similar tool used specifically for transferring measurements rather than drawing circles

用法筆記

This tool is often called a 'pair of compasses' in formal or traditional British usage, though 'compass' alone is common in both British and American English.

常見錯誤

❌I used a compass to draw a straight line.
✅I used a ruler to draw a straight line.
💡A compass draws circles and arcs; a ruler draws straight lines.

3. the range of things that someone or something can affect, achieve, or be involve

3.名詞C1
釋義

範圍

能力或影響所及的限度

the range of things that someone or something can affect, achieve, or be involved in — for example, the limit of a person's knowledge, an organisation's authority, or an idea's influence.

例句

Understanding advanced physics is beyond the compass of most high school students without further study.

若無進一步學習，理解高等物理超出了大多數高中生的能力範圍。

fixed phrase: beyond the compass of

The charity only works within the compass of helping homeless families.

該慈善機構的工作範圍僅限於幫助無家可歸的家庭。

fixed phrase: within the compass of

同義詞
  • scope

    the most common and neutral alternative; works in the same fixed phrases and also alone

  • range

    similar meaning, slightly less formal; used in daily contexts such as 'range of abilities'

  • extent

    focuses on how far something reaches, often used in formal or written English

用法筆記

This sense almost always appears in fixed prepositional phrases such as 'beyond the compass of', 'within the compass of', or 'outside the compass of'. It is not used alone as a simple noun (e.g. ❌ 'the compass of the project').

常見錯誤

❌The compass of the problem is very large.
✅The scope of the problem is very large.
💡'Compass' in this sense is used mostly in fixed phrases like 'beyond the compass of', not as a standalone noun.

compass — 動詞