Northern

In English terms, the northern part of the country, or "Up North". Includes Cumbria, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Manchester, Newcastle and the like. Bitter rivalry with soft southern jessies from London and surrounding counties. Debatable whether "northern" or not: Cheshire (unlikely owing to the pre-dominance of rich snobs) and Shropshire (generally closer to being a part of Wales).

Name used in North America for the steam locomotive type classified as 4-8-4 in the Whyte notation. Named after the Northern Pacific, the first railroad to order the type.

The Northern Pacific had an especial need for a locomotive with a bigger firebox than a 4-8-2 "Mountain" type could support, because they wanted to burn low-grade bituminous coal from mines they owned. This required a large, deep firebox to burn effectively.

North"ern (?), a. [AS. nor&edh;erne.]

1.

Of or pertaining to the north; being in the north, or nearer to that point than to the east or west.

2.

In a direction toward the north; as, to steer a northern course; coming from the north; as, a northern wind.

Northern diver. Zool. See Loon. -- Northern lights. See Aurora borealis, under Aurora. -- Northern spy Bot., an excellent American apple, of a yellowish color, marked with red.

© Webster 1913.