Etimology
From Middle English est, from Old English ēast, from Proto-West Germanic *austr, from Proto-Germanic *austrą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér (“east”). Compare West Frisian east, Dutch oost, German Ost, Danish øst, Norwegian Nynorsk aust, Swedish öst.
noun
east (plural easts)
The direction of the earth's rotation, specifically 90°.
The eastern region or area; the inhabitants thereof. [circa 1300]
(ecclesiastical) In a church: the direction of the altar and chancel; the direction faced by the priest when celebrating ad orientem.
Examples
Alternative form: E
Portsmouth is to the east of Southampton.
We live in the east of the country.
In a few hours the birds come to it from all points of the compass – east, west, north, and south […]
We, in the west, agreed amongst ourselves that a penitentiary should be erected with our half of the money arising as above stated; and the east agreed to improve the country in their vicinity with the other half.
A few [Anglican churches in South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland] are oriented other than due [geographic] east—St. Paul's, St. George's, and Prince George's parish churches face northeast and St. Andrew's, southeast. […] Throughout the book I refer directionally to the altar and chancel of St. Andrew's as situated at ecclesiastical east , not geographical or magnetic southeast. Thus, the altar is located at the east end of the church, and the gallery, at the west.
However, in Mies' chapel, liturgical east is magnetic west.
The tapestry by Graham Sutherland that occupies the whole wall of the liturgical east and geographic north of the cathedral is recognisable to the point of visual exhaustion.
Related words
coordinate terms
about east
Ascot
Aston
back east
Bath and North East Somerset
Cheshire East
down east
East Acton
East Africa
East Amwell
East and West Buckland
East Anglia
East Ardsley
East Aurora
East Ayrshire
East Azerbaijan
East Barkwith
East Barnet
East Bedlington
East Bend
East Bethlehem
East Boldon
eastbound
East Brent
East Bridgford
East Buckland
East Budleigh
Eastbury
east by north
east by northeast
east by south
East Cambridgeshire
East Carleton
East Carlton
East Carroll Parish
East Chevington
East Chicago
Eastchurch
East Clandon
East Cleveland
Eastcote
East Cowton
East Dallas
East Dean
East Devon
East Didsbury
East Dorset
East Dubuque
East Dulwich
East Dunbartonshire
East End
easterliness
easterly
eastern
easterner
East Falkland
East Farleigh
East Feliciana Parish
East Finchley
East Fishkill
East Fortune
East Garston
East Gippsland
East Glacier Park
East Goscote
East Greenwich
East Grinstead
East Gwillimbury
East Halton
East Hampshire
East Hampton
East Hants
East Harling
East Hartford
East Haven
East Hertfordshire
East Horndon
East Horsley
East Huntspill
easting
East Kilbride
East Knoyle
East Kootenay
Eastlake
East Langton
East Lansing
East Lavington
East Leake
East Lindsey
East Linton
East London
East Lothian
East Markham
East Marlborough
East Mead
East Melbourne
East Moline
East Moors
East Naples
East Northamptonshire
east-north-east
east-northeast
east northeast
east-northeasterly
east-northeastern
east-northeastward
east-northeastwards
East Norton
Easton
East Orange
East Palestine
East Peckham
East Peoria
East Providence
East Renfrewshire
East Riding
East Runton
Eastside
east side, eastside
east-southeast
east-south-east
east southeast
east-southeasterly
east-southeastern
east-southeastward
east-southeastwards
East St. Louis
East Staffordshire
East Stroudsburg
East Suffolk
East Sussex
East Tilbury
East Timor
East Tisted
East Turkestan
East Turkistan
eastward
eastwardly
eastwards
east-west
East Whiteland
Eastwood
East Woodhay
East York
East Zorra
Essex
Gilling East
Highlands East
Holme East Waver
Kew East
nor'-east
nor'-nor'-east
north by east
north-east
northeast
northeast by east
North East Derbyshire
North East Lincolnshire
north-north-east
north-northeast
Perth East
sou'-east
sou'-sou'-east
south by east
south-east
southeast
southeast by east
south-south-east
south-southeast
star in the east
St Newlyn East
adjective
east (not comparable)
Situated or lying in or towards the east; eastward.
(meteorology) Blowing (as wind) from the east.
Of or pertaining to the east; eastern.
From the East; oriental.
(ecclesiastical) Designating, or situated in, the liturgical east.
Examples
the east front of a cathedral
Throughout the book I refer directionally to the altar and chancel of St. Andrew's as situated at ecclesiastical east , not geographical or magnetic southeast. Thus, the altar is located at the east end of the church, and the gallery, at the west.
The tapestry by Graham Sutherland that occupies the whole wall of the liturgical east and geographic north of the cathedral is recognisable […] a huge image of Christ on the [liturgical] east end, filling the entire wall and to be visible through the [liturgical] West Window .
Related words
synonyms
(situated or lying in or towards the east): eastward
(meteorology: wind from the east): easterly
(of or pertaining to the east): eastern
(from the East): oriental
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "situated or lying in or towards the east"): westward
(antonym(s) of "meteorology: wind from the east"): westerly
(antonym(s) of "of or pertaining to the east"): western
adverb
east (not comparable)
towards the east; eastwards
Related words
synonyms
(towards the east): eastwards
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "towards the east"): west. westwards