septentrion

• septentriones (obsolete)

From Middle English septentrion, septentrione, septemtryones, septemtrioun, from Latin septentriō, septentriōnem (“the northern regions, the north”) directly and through Old French septentrïon, septemtrion, from septentriōnēs (“the seven stars near the north pole”) (called Charles's Wain, or the Great Bear, also those called the Little Bear; properly, the “seven plow oxen”); from septem (“seven”) + triō, originally a plow ox (compare triōnēs, from its plural). Cognate with French septentrion, Middle English septemtrioun.

septentrion (plural septentrions)

1. (obsolete) The north or northern regions.
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:

     Thou art as opposite to every good / As the Antipodes are unto us, / Or as the south to the septentrion.

septentrion (comparative more septentrion, superlative most septentrion)

1. (obsolete) Of or relating to the north; northern.
   • 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 80, line 31:

     From cold septentrion blaſts

• “septentrion”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

• pretentions

Borrowed from Latin septentriōnem.

• IPA^(key): /sɛp.tɑ̃.tʁi.jɔ̃/

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septentrion m (plural septentrions)

1. septentrion, north

   Synonym: nord

• septentrional

• “septentrion”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Borrowed from French septentrion.

septentrion n (uncountable)

1. north