northern

[nawr-th ern] /ˈnɔr ðərn/
adjective
1.
lying toward or situated in the north.
2.
directed or proceeding northward.
3.
coming from the north, as a wind.
4.
(often initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the North, especially the northern U.S.
5.
Astronomy, north of the celestial equator or of the zodiac:
a northern constellation.
noun
6.
a person living in a northern region or country.
7.
(initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a four-wheeled rear truck.
Origin
before 900; Middle English, Old English; see north, -ern
Related forms
northernness, noun
pro-Northern, adjective
unnorthern, adjective
Examples from the web for northern
  • Many northern opposition parties withdrew before the poll.
  • In the end, it was the poor and those in the less-developed northern regions who swung it her way.
  • Now all but a few northern cities elect their leaders directly.
  • There were many such establishments in the northern counties.
  • northern right whales, hunted to near extinction, are the rarest of all large whales.
  • There are two species of elephant seals, the northern and southern.
  • There are eight species of southern fur seals, all smaller than their northern relative.
  • The fossil remains also suggest that these prehistoric humans looked different from their northern counterparts.
  • Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages.
  • For example, as they moved into northern climates, natural selection appears to have favored lighter skin colors-probably.
British Dictionary definitions for northern

northern

/ˈnɔːðən/
adjective
1.
situated in or towards the north: northern towns
2.
directed or proceeding towards the north: a northern flow of traffic
3.
(esp of winds) proceeding from the north
4.
(sometimes capital) of, relating to, or characteristic of the north or North
5.
(sometimes capital) (astronomy) north of the celestial equator
Word Origin and History for northern
adj.

Old English norþerna, norðerne "northern, Northumbrian, Scandinavian," cognate with Old High German nordroni, Old Norse norroenn (see north). With -erne, suffix denoting direction. Related: Northernmost. Northerner in U.S. geo-political sense is attested from 1831. Northern lights "aurora borealis" first recorded by that name 1721 (earlier north-light, 1706).