Usage Note
Boussole is a magnetic compass used for navigation. The idiom perdre la boussole means 'to lose one's bearings' or 'to go off the rails', often used figuratively to describe someone acting erratically. Compas in French refers to a drawing compass (for circles), not a magnetic one.
Examples
"Il a sorti sa boussole pour trouver le nord."
Natural Translation
He took out his compass to find north.
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