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

Gilbert was the first to recognize that the Earth itself is a magnet, and that this is why the compass needle points to the north.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton