Wiktionary
n. (context geography English) Any of the four principal compass directions - north, east, south and west.
Wikipedia
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the clockwise direction of rotation from north and west being directly opposite east. Intermediate points between the four cardinal directions form the points of the compass. The intermediate (intercardinal, or ordinal) directions are northeast (NE), southeast (SE), southwest (SW), and northwest (NW). Further, the intermediate direction of every set of intercardinal and cardinal direction is called a secondary-intercardinal direction, the eight shortest points in the compass rose to the right, i.e. NNE, ENE, ESE, and so on.
Usage examples of "cardinal direction".
He bowed toward the shore, then toward each cardinal direction, but never actually stood on the shore.
It was round, carved on its top with one character at each cardinal direction.
Then they returned to their point of origin and headed in another cardinal direction.
If this city was built on the same plan as the city in the Nexusand Haplo had no reason to think otherwisethere would be four such pillars, located at the cardinal direction points.
There are four such pillars, placed at the cardinal direction points.
If this city was built on the same plan as the city in the Nexus-and Haplo had no reason to think otherwise-there would be four such pillars, located at the cardinal direction points.
She slowly rotated her hand and saw the second dot move around, always staying at the circumference, always pointed in the same cardinal direction.
He learned then that they'd agreed to form into four larger groups, each taking a cardinal direction.