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• east
  east

  noun

  a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north. E
• East.
  East.

  abbreviation

  eastern.
• East
  East

  noun

  the continent of Asia regarded as culturally distinct from Europe and the West; the Orient

east

¹ American  

[eest] / ist /

noun

1. a cardinal point of the compass, 90° to the right of north. 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.

   2. East Asia.

   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.

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adjective

1. directed or proceeding toward the east.

2. coming from the east.

   an east wind.

3. lying toward or situated in the east.

   the east side.

4. Ecclesiastical. being at the end of the church where the high altar is.

   an east window.

adverb

1. to, toward, or in the east.

   an island located east of Sumatra; He went east.

East. ² American  

Or east.

abbreviation

1. eastern.

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East ¹ British  

/ iːst /

noun

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

3. 1. the area north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi

   2. the area north of Maryland and east of the Alleghenies

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adjective

1. 1. of or denoting the eastern part of a specified country, area, etc

   2. ( as part of a name )

      East Sussex

east ² British  

/ 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) any area lying in or towards the east

4. cards (usually capital) the player or position at the table corresponding to east on the compass

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adjective

1. situated in, moving towards, or facing the east

2. (esp of the wind) from the east

adverb

1. in, to, or towards the east

2. archaic (of the wind) from the east

Other Word Forms

• eastness
  noun
• Eastern
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of east

First recorded before 900; Middle English est, Old English ēast; cognate with German ost, Old Norse austr; akin to Latin aurōra, Greek aúōs (Aeolic dialect variant of ēṓs, héōs ) “dawn”; see Easter

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

east East. East

Jug Rock is the largest free-standing table rock east of the Mississippi River.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Ongoing regional instability near the location of the outbreak, in the east of DR Congo, has added to challenges in controlling the spread of the disease.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time visited the remote southern Kuril Islands in Russia’s far east on Thursday, a chilly archipelago that Japan claims as its own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The east side of the fire — located in dense wilderness — is most active and firefighters are trying to find safe ways to get it under control, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The city sat between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the vast wetlands of the Everglades to the west, northwest, and south.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

"We signed with many publishers in the US, big names in the Middle East. Things are moving very rapidly."

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

“The reflation trade has made a comeback in recent weeks due to the war in the Middle East. Going forward, the risk is that a higher-for-longer oil regime continues to fuel reflation fears.”

From MarketWatch ● May 2, 2026

“He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end,” Hitt added.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024

“He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He’s working tirelessly to that end.”

From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2024

"Jimmy always liked it better down East. He rose up to his position in the East. Were you a friend of my boy's, Mr.--?"

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Moller-Maersk raised its full-year guidance on the back of higher earnings and improved visibility for the rest of the year despite the conflict in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Chris Zarraga, director of Schools North East, said schools in different parts of England were "not operating on a level playing field".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Until this month, the resurrected Chevy Metal could only perform during Shane’s breaks from his boarding school on the East Coast, but he is newly graduated and ready to play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

She noted that she and Cascardo had already made plans to quit California, but explained that they’d originally set their sights on setting up home in Portland, before pivoting to the East Coast.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

A train driver named Harry Deterling picked up twenty-four friends and relatives along the train’s usual route through East Berlin.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin