west

[west] /wɛst/
noun
1.
a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the left when facing north, corresponding to the point where the sun is seen to set.
Abbreviation: W.
2.
the direction in which this point lies.
3.
(usually initial capital letter) a region or territory situated in this direction, especially the western part of the U.S., as distinguished from the East:
a vacation trip through the West.
4.
(initial capital letter) the western part of the world, as distinguished from the East or Orient; the Occident.
5.
(initial capital letter) the non-Communist countries of Western Europe and the Americas.
adjective
6.
directed or proceeding toward the west.
7.
coming from the west:
a west wind.
8.
lying toward or situated in the west.
9.
Ecclesiastical. designating, lying toward, or in that part of a church opposite to and farthest from the altar.
adverb
10.
to, toward, or in the west:
The car headed west.
11.
from the west:
The wind blew west.
Idioms
12.
go west, Informal. to die.
Origin
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch, German west, Old Norse vestr; compare French ouest, Old French < Old English

West

[west] /wɛst/
noun
1.
Benjamin, 1738–1820, U.S. painter, in England after 1763.
2.
Jerome Alan ("Jerry") born 1938, U.S. basketball player, coach, and executive.
3.
Mae, 1892?–1980, U.S. actress.
4.
Nathanael (Nathan Wallenstein Weinstein) 1902?–40, U.S. novelist.
5.
Paul, born 1930, U.S. poet, essayist, and novelist, born in England.
6.
Dame Rebecca (Cicily Isabel Fairfield Andrews) 1892–1983, English novelist, journalist, and critic, born in Ireland.
Related forms
anti-West, adjective
pro-West, adjective

West.

1.
western.
Also, west.
Examples from the web for west
  • The area is in easy walking distance of the city and the west end.
  • Routes are sorted by position along the main route, from south to north and west to east.
  • He appeared on bbc points west dressed in a pair of shorts and socks.
  • In the west, this figure was accepted, but some historians had their doubts.
  • A plan was laid for combined operations against them from east and west.
  • Regardless, groups of settlers continued to move west and lay claim to these lands.
  • In the west, feeling empty is often viewed as a negative condition.
  • The song hide your heart by kiss is loosely based on west side story.
  • The new land that they founded on the west bank of the brandywine was called the shire.
  • He said that the west erred in measuring other civilizations by its own model.
British Dictionary definitions for west

west

/wɛst/
noun
1.
one of the four cardinal points of the compass, 270° clockwise from north and 180° from east
2.
the direction along a parallel towards the sunset, at 270° clockwise from north
3.
(often capital) the west, any area lying in or towards the west related adjectives Hesperian Occidental
4.
(cards) (usually capital) the player or position at the table corresponding to west on the compass
adjective
5.
situated in, moving towards, or facing the west
6.
(esp of the wind) from the west
adverb
7.
in, to, or towards the west
8.
(archaic) (of the wind) from the west
9.
(informal) go west
  1. to be lost or destroyed irrevocably
  2. to die
W
Word Origin
Old English; related to Old Norse vestr, Sanskrit avástāt, Latin vesper evening, Greek hésperos

West1

/wɛst/
noun the West
1.
the western part of the world contrasted historically and culturally with the East or Orient; the Occident
2.
(formerly) the non-Communist countries of Europe and America contrasted with the Communist states of the East Compare East (sense 2)
3.
(in the US)
  1. that part of the US lying approximately to the west of the Mississippi
  2. (during the Colonial period) the region outside the 13 colonies, lying mainly to the west of the Alleghenies
4.
(in the ancient and medieval world) the Western Roman Empire and, later, the Holy Roman Empire
adjective
5.
  1. of or denoting the western part of a specified country, area, etc
  2. (as part of a name): the West Coast

West2

/wɛst/
noun
1.
Benjamin. 1738–1820, US painter, in England from 1763
2.
Kanye, born 1977, US rap singer and producer; his albums include The College Dropout (2004) and Graduation (2007)
3.
Mae. 1892–1980, US film actress
4.
Nathanael, real name Nathan Weinstein. 1903–40, US novelist: author of Miss Lonely-Hearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939)
5.
Dame Rebecca, real name Cicily Isabel Andrews (née Fairfield). 1892–1983, British journalist, novelist, and critic
Word Origin and History for west

Old English west "in or toward the west," from Proto-Germanic *wes-t- (cf. Old Norse vestr, Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Dutch west, Old High German -west, only in compounds, German west), from PIE *wes- (source of Greek hesperos, Latin vesper "evening, west"), perhaps an enlarged form of root *we- "to go down" (cf. Sanskrit avah "downward"), and thus literally "direction in which the sun sets." Cf. also High German dialectal abend "west," literally "evening."

French ouest, Spanish oeste are from English. West used in geopolitical sense from World War I (Britain, France, Italy, as opposed to Germany and Austria-Hungary); as contrast to Communist Russia (later to the Soviet bloc) it is first recorded in 1918. West Indies is recorded from 1550s.

Slang definitions & phrases for west

West

Related Terms

mae west


Idioms and Phrases with west

west

see: go west