East noun

1. the East
a) the countries in Asia, especially China and Japan:
Martial arts originated in the East.
b) the countries in the eastern part of Europe and Central Asia:
American relations with the East.
c) American English the part of the US east of the Mississippi River, especially the states north of Washington DC:
She was born in the East but now lives in Atlanta.
He was born in Utah but went to college back East.

2. East-West relations/trade etc political relations etc between countries in eastern Europe and those in western Europe and North America
⇒ Far East
, Middle East
, Near East

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. east¹ S1 W2 , East /iːst/ noun [singular, uncountable] (written abbreviation E)
[Word Family: adjective: east, easterly, eastern, eastbound, easternmost, eastward; noun: east, easterner, easterly; adverb: east, eastward(s)]
[Language: Old English]

1. the direction from which the sun rises, and which is on the right if you are facing north:
Which way is east?
from/towards the east
He turned and walked away towards the east.
to the east (of something)
To the east of the pier were miles of sandy beaches.

2. the east the eastern part of a country or area:
housing problems in the east
the east of
the east of Scotland

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. east² , East adjective (written abbreviation E)
[Word Family: adjective: east, easterly, eastern, eastbound, easternmost, eastward; noun: east, easterner, easterly; adverb: east, eastward(s)]

1. [only before noun] in the east or facing the east:
I don’t know the east coast well.
He was born in East Jerusalem.

2. an east wind comes from the east

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. east³ adverb (written abbreviation E)
[Word Family: adjective: east, easterly, eastern, eastbound, easternmost, eastward; noun: east, easterner, easterly; adverb: east, eastward(s)]

1. towards the east:
We drove east along Brooklyn Avenue.
east of
a small farming community 18 miles east of Paris
an east-facing bedroom

2. out east to or in the countries in Asia, especially China and Japan:
The drug is being used all the time out east.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

east
i:st
See: down east

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲