South
the South
a) the southeastern states of the US, used especially when talking about politics or history. When people in the US talk about the South, they mean the states that were originally part of the Confederacy during the Civil War. The economy of these states was based on slavery, and after slavery was officially ended in 1863, most Southern states made laws that were unfair to black people or separated them from white people. Today, people think of the South as a place where people are more conservative (=not wanting changes) than in other parts of the US. ⇒ Deep South
b) the southern part of England. The South of England, especially the area around London is generally considered to be richer than the rest of the UK, and a more expensive place to live.
c) the poorer countries of the southern parts of the world, including most of Africa, parts of Central and South America, and parts of southern Asia

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. south¹ S1 W2 , South /saʊθ/ noun [singular, uncountable] (written abbreviation S)
[Word Family: adjective: south, southerly, southern, southbound, southernmost; adverb: south, southward(s), southbound; noun: south, southerner]

1. the direction that is at the bottom of a map of the world, below the Equator. It is on the right if you are facing the rising sun:
Which way is south?
from/towards the south
By now, the army was approaching from the south.
to the south (of something)
Gatwick airport is a few miles to the south of London.

2. the south the southern part of a country or area
in the south
They lived in a small town in the south.
the south of
the south of India

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. south² , South adjective [only before noun] (written abbreviation S)
[Word Family: adjective: south, southerly, southern, southbound, southernmost; adverb: south, southward(s), southbound; noun: south, southerner]
[Language: Old English; Origin: suth]

1. in the south, or facing the south:
a village on the south coast
I am currently teaching in south Texas.

2. a south wind comes from the south

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. south³ adverb (written abbreviation S)
[Word Family: adjective: south, southerly, southern, southbound, southernmost; adverb: south, southward(s), southbound; noun: south, southerner]

1. towards the south:
Most of the birds had already flown south.
south of
a seaside town 99 km south of London
a south-facing garden

2. down south
a) British English informal in or to the southern part of England:
We moved down south about five years ago.
b) American English (also down South) in or to the southern US states:
His sister lives down south.

3. go south American English informal if a situation, organization, or set of standards goes south, it becomes very bad although it was once very good:
It seems like all our moral standards have just gone south.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲