east
east [east easts] noun, adjective, adverb BrE [iːst] NAmE [iːst]
noun uncountable, singular (abbr.E)
1. (usually the east)the direction that you look towards to see the sun rise; one of the four main points of the ↑compass
• Which way is east?
• A gale was blowing from the east.
•a town to the east of (= further east than) Chicago
compare ↑north, ↑south, ↑west
2. (also East)the eastern part of a country, region or city
• I was born in the East, but now live in San Francisco.
3. the Eastthe countries of Asia, especially China, Japan and India
4. the East(in the past) the Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe
•East-West relations
Word Origin:
Old English ēast-, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oost and German ost, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin aurora, Greek auōs ‘dawn’.
adjective only before noun
1. (also East) (abbr.E)in or towards the east
•East Africa
• They live on the east coast.
2. an east wind blows from the east
compare ↑easterly
Word Origin:
Old English ēast-, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oost and German ost, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin aurora, Greek auōs ‘dawn’.
adverb
towards the east
• The house faces east.
Word Origin:
Old English ēast-, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch oost and German ost, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin aurora, Greek auōs ‘dawn’.
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