The compass is used for two basic tasks regarding bearings: 1.To take, or measure, bearings. To take a bearing means to measure the direction from one point to another, either on a map or in the field. 2.To plot, or follow, bearings. To plot, or follow, a bearing means to set a certain bearing on the compass and then to plot out, or to follow, where that bearing points, either on the map or in the field.
