cardinal points

American  

plural noun

1. the four chief directions of the compass; the north, south, east, and west points.

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cardinal points British  

plural noun

1. the four main points of the compass: north, south, east, and west

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Etymology

Origin of cardinal points

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

For each of the four cheers, the king turned in a different direction to represent the cardinal points of the compass.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2023

The arrangement of forms would also allow visitors to enter the museum from any one of the cardinal points, making the museum more accessible.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2019

Twelve small speakers were now mounted at cardinal points around the wall—four at ear level, another four halfway up, and a third set close to the ceiling—along with two speakers in the grain chute.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 4, 2019

The West is a concept, not a location: the United States, Germany and Japan, for instance, can all be Western in crucial ways — cultures, currencies and cardinal points be damned.

From Washington Post • Jun. 15, 2017

Set down with geometric precision at the cardinal points were four monumental slabs of the same alien metal as the citadel.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor