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down East

American  
[doun eest] / ˈdaʊn ˈist /

noun

  1. New England.

  2. the state of Maine.

  3. Canadian. the Atlantic Provinces.


adverb

  1. in, to, or into New England.

  2. in, to, or into the state of Maine.

  3. Canadian. in, to, or into the Atlantic Provinces.

Etymology

Origin of down East

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

An adoring crowd stretched out the door, down East Washington Street and into a nearby alley.

From The Wall Street Journal May 24, 2026

In light traffic, we made our way past Lewiston High, down East Avenue and Lisbon Street, Lewiston Strong stickers adorning the rear windshields of many cars.

From Slate Dec. 4, 2024

Capitol down East Capitol Street, according to a profile in Omaha Magazine.

From Washington Times Jun. 7, 2023

On the way to his apartment after Friday’s win, Francona ventured down East 4th Street packed with fans celebrating Cleveland’s win.

From Seattle Times Oct. 8, 2022

They’d walked along the great curve of the harbors known as the Lid, then down East Stave to see all the gambling palaces.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

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