east

[eest] /ist/
noun
1.
a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north.
Abbreviation: E.
2.
the direction in which this point lies.
3.
(usually initial capital letter) a quarter or territory situated in this direction.
4.
the East,
  1. the parts of Asia collectively lying east of Europe and including Asia Minor, Syria, Arabia, India, China, etc.; the Orient.
  2. the Far East.
  3. (formerly) the Soviet Union and its allies.
  4. the part of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.
  5. the part of the U.S. east of the Allegheny Mountains.
  6. New England.
  7. Ancient and Medieval History. the Eastern Roman Empire.
adjective
5.
directed or proceeding toward the east.
6.
coming from the east:
an east wind.
7.
lying toward or situated in the east:
the east side.
8.
Ecclesiastical. being at the end of the church where the high altar is:
an east window.
adverb
9.
to, toward, or in the east:
an island located east of Sumatra; He went east.
Origin
before 900; Middle English est, Old English ēast; cognate with German ost, Old Norse austr; akin to Latin aurōra, Greek aúōs (dialectal variant of ēṓs, héōs) dawn. See Easter
Related forms
eastness, noun

East.

1.
eastern.
Also, east.
Examples from the web for east
  • Plants that tolerate low light are usually happiest near an east- or north-facing window.
  • Travel straight east or west, and the pull doesn't change.
  • He spans between them also from east to west and reflects what is between them.
  • One noticeable difference is the freedom to travel to all points whether they are situated to the east or the west of the city.
  • The road to the holy mountain turns sharply to the east and begins to climb.
  • They are dangerous, especially when racing east to catch a sunset.
  • The east-west, west-east speed differential is now quite well established.
  • east produced the king and took four hearts for down two.
  • Further east, religion dominated artistic styles and forms too.
  • On the east coast their wanderings do not appear to follow a pattern.
British Dictionary definitions for east

east

/iːst/
noun
1.
one of the four cardinal points of the compass, 90° clockwise from north and 180° from west
2.
the direction along a parallel towards the sunrise, at 90° to north; the direction of the earth's rotation
3.
(often capital) the east, any area lying in or towards the east related adjective oriental
4.
(cards) (usually capital) the player or position at the table corresponding to east on the compass
adjective
5.
situated in, moving towards, or facing the east
6.
(esp of the wind) from the east
adverb
7.
in, to, or towards the east
8.
(archaic) (of the wind) from the east
E
Word Origin
Old English ēast; related to Old High German ōstar to the east, Old Norse austr, Latin aurora dawn, Greek eōs, Sanskrit usās dawn, morning

East

/iːst/
noun the East
1.
the continent of Asia regarded as culturally distinct from Europe and the West; the Orient
2.
the countries under Communist rule and formerly under Communist rule, lying mainly in the E hemisphere Compare West (sense 2)
3.
(in the US)
  1. the area north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi
  2. the area north of Maryland and east of the Alleghenies
adjective
4.
  1. of or denoting the eastern part of a specified country, area, etc
  2. (as part of a name): East Sussex
Derived Forms
Eastern, adjective
Word Origin and History for east
n.

Old English east "east, easterly, eastward," from Proto-Germanic *aus-to-, *austra- "east, toward the sunrise" (cf. Old Frisian ast "east," aster "eastward," Dutch oost Old Saxon ost, Old High German ostan, German Ost, Old Norse austr "from the east"), from PIE *aus- "to shine," especially "dawn" (cf. Sanskrit ushas "dawn;" Greek aurion "morning;" Old Irish usah, Lithuanian auszra "dawn;" Latin aurora "dawn," auster "south"), literally "to shine." The east is the direction in which dawn breaks. For theory of shift in sense in Latin, see Australia.

Meaning "the eastern part of the world" (from Europe) is from c.1300. French est, Spanish este are borrowings from Middle English, originally nautical. The east wind in Biblical Palestine was scorching and destructive (cf. Ezek. xvii:10); in New England it is bleak, wet, unhealthful.

Cold War use of East for "communist states" first recorded 1951. Natives of eastern Germany and the Baltics were known as easterlings 16c.-18c. East End of London so called by 1846; East Side of Manhattan so called from 1882; East Indies (India and Southeast Asia) so called 1590s to distinguish them from the West Indies.

east in Technology


A Eureka project developing a software engineering platform.
(1994-12-07)

east in the Bible

(1.) The orient (mizrah); the rising of the sun. Thus "the east country" is the country lying to the east of Syria, the Elymais (Zech. 8:7). (2). Properly what is in front of one, or a country that is before or in front of another; the rendering of the word _kedem_. In pointing out the quarters, a Hebrew always looked with his face toward the east. The word _kedem_ is used when the four quarters of the world are described (Gen. 13:14; 28:14); and _mizrah_ when the east only is distinguished from the west (Josh. 11:3; Ps. 50:1; 103:12, etc.). In Gen. 25:6 "eastward" is literally "unto the land of kedem;" i.e., the lands lying east of Palestine, namely, Arabia, Mesopotamia, etc.