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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

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

east East. East

Unions staged a march along a traditional route, from the Place de la Republique in central Paris to Place de la Nation in the east of the city.

From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026

The 4.9 metre sandstone slab within the circle was initially believed to have originated in Wales until a more recent study pointed towards it coming from north east Scotland.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The most reasonable interpretation is that H. erectus populations in east Asia passed this variant to Denisovans through interbreeding, and Denisovans later passed it on to the ancestors of modern south-east Asians and Oceanians.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026

He lived in L.A. for four years, before making his name in theater back east.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Clouds of smoke rise from the mountains to the south and the east as Philippine demolition squads blast bridges and culverts, hoping to keep the Japanese at bay.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“We can’t find a zero risk route option any longer through the Middle East. It just isn’t there,” Zee said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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

“Everything that’s happening in the Middle East. I’m seeing prices rise at the supermarket. And of course we have this constant thread of AI data-centers being built.”

From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026

“The fighting there is not as intense as it is in the East. Some Russian units attacking Kharkiv were also redirected to Kursk as Ukraine managed to stall the Russian onslaught there,” he added.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2024

"Yet we still must have a Warden of the East. If Robert Arryn will not do, name one of your brothers. Stannis proved himself at the siege of Storm's End, surely."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Other big markets, including Europe, Japan and the Middle East, are also sputtering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

Auction House East Anglia said it recognised the distress being experienced by homeowners in Hemsby, but said vendors were entitled to sell their properties.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Native to temperate forest habitats in East Asia, the lumbering black-and-white mammals do not typically travel long distances in the wild.

From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026

Its operations released lead dust across Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Commerce and Maywood while the state allowed the plant to operate for decades with a temporary permit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Ethan Allen is the name of my house at East Burlington Junior High.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

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