nord-ouest

northwest

noun nor-WEST Rare

Usage Note

Nord-ouest is the compound cardinal direction, always hyphenated in French. It functions as both a noun (le nord-ouest de la France) and an indeclinable adjective (la côte nord-ouest). The abbreviation is N.-O. In meteorological bulletins, winds are described as de nord-ouest (from the northwest).

Examples

"Le vent soufflait du nord-ouest toute la journée."

Natural Translation

The wind blew from the northwest all day.

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