Definition of compas

(Bern Dibner, "Oerstad and the Discovery of Electro...)

Electrical literature contained numerous references to lightning that had magnetized iron and had altered the polarity of compass needles .

Oersted 's own earlier experiments were unimpressive , possibly because he had , like other experimenters , laid the conducting_wire across the compass needle instead_of parallel with_it .

(James Boylan, "Mutinity"...)

The ship 's compass was useless because of the nearness of the magnetic North_Pole .