Adjacent Words

West definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WEST, n. [L., a decline or fall, departure. In elements, it coincides with waste.]
1. In strictness, that point of the horizon where the sun sets at the equinox, or any point in a direct line between the spectator or other object, and that point of the horizon; or west is the intersection of the prime vertical with the horizon, on that side where the sun sets. West is directly opposite to east, and one of the cardinal points. In a less strict sense, west is the region of the hemisphere near the point where the sun sets when in the equator. Thus we say, a star sets in the west, a meteor appears in the west, a cloud rises in the west.
2. A country situated in the region towards the sun-setting, with respect to another. Thus in the United States, the inhabitants of the Atlantic states speak of the inhabitants of Ohio, Kentucky or Missouri, and call them people of the west; and formerly, the empire of Rome was called the empire of the West, in opposition to the empire of the East, the seat of which was Constantinople.
WEST, a.
1. Being in a line towards the point where the sun sets when in the equator; or in a looser sense, being in the region near the line of direction towards that point, either on the earth or in the heavens.
This shall be your west border. Numbers 34.
2. Coming or moving from the west or western region; as a west wind.
WEST, adv. To the western region; at the westward; more westward; as, Ireland lies west of England.
WEST, v.i. To pass to the west; to set, as the sun. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: situated in or facing or moving toward the west [ant: east] n
1: the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America [syn: West, Occident]
2: the cardinal compass point that is a 270 degrees [syn: west, due west, westward, W]
3: the region of the United States lying to the west of the Mississippi River [syn: West, western United States]
4: the direction corresponding to the westward cardinal compass point
5: British writer (born in Ireland) (1892-1983) [syn: West, Rebecca West, Dame Rebecca West, Cicily Isabel Fairfield]
6: United States film actress (1892-1980) [syn: West, Mae West]
7: English painter (born in America) who became the second president of the Royal Academy (1738-1820) [syn: West, Benjamin West]
8: a location in the western part of a country, region, or city adv
1: to, toward, or in the west; "we moved west to Arizona"; "situated west of Boston"

Merriam Webster's

I. biographical name Benjamin 1738-1820 American painter II. biographical name Nathanael 1903-1940 originally Nathan Wallenstein Weinstein American novelist III. biographical name Dame Rebecca 1892-1983 pseudonym of Cicily Isabel Andrews née Fairfield English critic & novelist IV. biographical name Thomas — see De La Warr

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German westar to the west and probably to Latin vesper evening, Greek hesperos Date: before 12th century to, toward, or in the west II. adjective Date: before 12th century 1. situated toward or at the west <the west exit> 2. coming from the west <a west wind> III. noun Date: 12th century 1. a. the general direction of sunset ; the direction to the left of one facing north b. the compass point directly opposite to east 2. capitalized a. regions or countries lying to the west of a specified or implied point of orientation b. the noncommunist countries of Europe and America 3. the end of a church opposite the chancel 4. often capitalized a. the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the west or at the left of a diagram b. a person (as a bridge player) occupying this position during a specified activity

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n., adj., & adv. --n. 1 a the point of the horizon where the sun sets at the equinoxes (cardinal point 90° to the left of north). b the compass point corresponding to this. c the direction in which this lies. 2 (usu. the West) a European in contrast to Oriental civilization. b the non-Communist States of Europe and N. America. c the western part of the late Roman Empire. d the western part of a country, town, etc. 3 Bridge a player occupying the position designated 'west'. --adj. 1 towards, at, near, or facing west. 2 coming from the west (west wind). --adv. 1 towards, at, or near the west. 2 (foll. by of) further west than. Phrases and idioms: go west sl. be killed or destroyed etc. West Bank a region west of the River Jordan assigned to Jordan in 1948 and occupied by Israel since 1967. West Country the south-western counties of England. West End the entertainment and shopping area of London to the west of the City. West Indian 1 a native or national of any island of the West Indies. 2 a person of West Indian descent. West Indies the islands of Central America, including Cuba and the Bahamas. west-north- (or south-) west the direction or compass-point midway between west and north-west (or south-west). West Side US the western part of Manhattan. Etymology: OE f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

West West, n. [AS. west, adv.; akin to D. west, G. west, westen, OHG. westan, Icel. vestr, Sw. vest, vester, vestan, Dan. vest, vesten, and perhaps to L. vesper evening, Gr. ?. ????. Cf. Vesper, Visigoth.] 1. The point in the heavens where the sun is seen to set at the equinox; or, the corresponding point on the earth; that one of the four cardinal points of the compass which is in a direction at right angles to that of north and south, and on the left hand of a person facing north; the point directly opposite to east. And fresh from the west is the free wind's breath. --Bryant. 2. A country, or region of country, which, with regard to some other country or region, is situated in the direction toward the west. 3. Specifically: (a) The Westen hemisphere, or the New World so called, it having been discovered by sailing westward from Europe; the Occident. (b) (U. S. Hist. & Geog.) Formerly, that part of the United States west of the Alleghany mountains; now, commonly, the whole region west of the Mississippi river; esp., that part which is north of the Indian Territory, New Mexico, etc. Usually with the definite article. West by north, West by south, according to the notation of the mariner's compass, that point which lies 111/4[deg] to the north or south, respectively, of the point due west. West northwest, West southwest, that point which lies 221/2[deg] to the north or south of west, or halfway between west and northwest or southwest, respectively. See Illust. of Compass.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

West West, a. Lying toward the west; situated at the west, or in a western direction from the point of observation or reckoning; proceeding toward the west, or coming from the west; as, a west course is one toward the west; an east and west line; a west wind blows from the west. This shall be your west border. --Num. xxxiv. 6. West end, the fashionable part of London, commencing from the east, at Charing Cross.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

West West, adv. [AS. west.] Westward.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

West West, v. i. 1. To pass to the west; to set, as the sun. [Obs.] ``The hot sun gan to west.'' --Chaucer. 2. To turn or move toward the west; to veer from the north or south toward the west.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

West West, a. (Eccl.) Designating, or situated in, that part of a church which is opposite to, and farthest from, the east, or the part containing the chancel and choir.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

also West Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. The west is the direction which you look towards in the evening in order to see the sun set. I pushed on towards Flagstaff, a hundred miles to the west... The sun crosses the sky from east to west. N-UNCOUNT: also the N 2. The west of a place, country, or region is the part of it which is in the west. ...physicists working at Bristol University in the west of England. N-SING: usu the N, oft N of n 3. If you go west, you travel towards the west. We are going West to California. ADV: ADV after v 4. Something that is west of a place is positioned to the west of it. ...their home town of Paisley, several miles west of Glasgow. ADV: usu ADV of n 5. The west part of a place, country, or region is the part which is towards the west. ...a small island off the west coast of South Korea. ADJ: ADJ n 6. West is used in the names of some countries, states, and regions in the west of a larger area. Mark has been working in West Africa for about six months. ...his West London home. ...Charleston, West Virginia. ADJ: ADJ n 7. A west wind blows from the west. ADJ: ADJ n 8. The West is used to refer to the United States, Canada, and the countries of Western, Northern, and Southern Europe. ...relations between Iran and the West. N-SING: the N

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

see west

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(1) Usually (yam), "sea" because the Mediterranean lies to the West of Palestine; not usually in figurative expressions; but compare Ho 11:10.

(2) Often (ma`arabh); compare Arabic (gharb), and (maghrib), "west" (maghrib-ush-shems), or simply (maghrib), "sunset."

(3) (mebho' ha-chemesh), "entrance of the sun," (mabho', bo'), "to come in." (Just as mizrach, is the rising of the sun, or east, so mabho' (or ma'arabh], is the setting of the sun, or west: "From the rising of the sun (mizrach-shemesh) unto the going down (mabho) thereof" (Ps 50:1; compare 113:3; Mal 1:11).)

(4) (dusme, from duo), "to enter," "sink," "set." The Greek usage is parallel to the Hebrew just cited: "Many shall come from the east anatole, "rising") and the west" (dusme, "setting") (Mt 8:11).

The chief figurative use of the word "west" is in combination with "east" to denote great or infinite distance, as:

"As far as the east is from the west,

So far hath he removed our transgressions

from us" (Ps 103:12).

Alfred Ely Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Occident. II. a. Western, westerly, occidental.

Moby Thesaurus

Africa, America, Antipodes, Asia, Asia Major, Asia Minor, Australasia, Dixie, Dixieland, Down East, East, East Coast, Eastern Hemisphere, Eurasia, Europe, Far East, Levant, Middle Atlantic, Middle East, Middle West, Near East, New England, New World, North, North Central region, Northeast, Northwest, Occident, Oceania, Old World, Orient, Pacific Northwest, South, Southeast, Southwest, Sunbelt, West Coast, Western Hemisphere, Yankeeland, continent, down under, eastland, landmass, northland, the Coast, the old country, westland, wild West

Moby Thesaurus

W, antarctic, arctic, austral, boreal, cardinal points, compass card, compass rose, degrees, east, eastbound, easter, easterly, eastermost, eastern, easternmost, eastward, half points, hyperborean, lubber line, meridional, north, northbound, northeast, northeasterly, northeastern, norther, northerly, northern, northernmost, northward, northwest, northwesterly, northwestern, occident, occidental, orient, oriental, quarter points, rhumb, south, southbound, southeast, southeasterly, southeastern, souther, southerly, southern, southernmost, southward, southwest, southwesterly, southwestern, sunrise, sunset, westabout, westbound, wester, westerly, western, westernly, westernmost, westward, westwardly, westwards