compass needle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Back in the lab, the cores were sliced into thin sections and analyzed with a highly sensitive magnetometer capable of detecting signals far weaker than a compass needle.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 21, 2026
The lasers help measure changes in the atoms’ internal compass needle, which is used to calculate the strength of the magnetic field.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Above, the mast tilted back and forth like a compass needle aimed at the sky.
From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2022
These errors are akin to flipping a compass needle from north to south or east to west, respectively.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 22, 2022
Norman announced on his title page that he was the discoverer of ‘a newe...secret and subtill propertie’, the dip of the compass needle.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
