n. One of the four cardinal points of the compass, opposite to the west, and lying on the right hand when one faces the north; the point in the heavens where the sun is seen to rise at the equinox, or the corresponding point on the earth.n. The quarter or direction toward the mean point of sunrise; an eastward situation or trend; the eastern part or side: as, a town or country in the east of Europe, or on the east of a range of mountains; to travel to the east (that is, in an eastern direction).n. A territory or region situated eastward of the person speaking, or of the people using the term.n. In the Bible, the countries southeast, east, and northeast of Palestine, as Moab, Ammon, Arabia Deserta, Armenia, Assyria, Babylon, Parthia. The countries designated by the term in particular passages must be discovered from the context.n. [capitalized] In the United States, in a restricted sense, New England; in a more general sense, the whole eastern or Atlantic portion of the country, as distinguished from the West.n. [capitalized] In church hist., the church in the Eastern Empire and countries adjacent, especially those on the east, as “the West” is the church in the Western Empire: as, the great schism between East and West.n. The east wind.Situated in the direction of the rising sun, or toward the point where the sun rises when in the equinoctial: as, the east side; an east window.Coming from the direction of the east: only in the phrase the or an east wind.Eccles., situated beyond or in the direction of the altar or high altar of a church as seen from the nave: as, the east end of the choirstalls.Abbreviated E.In an easterly direction; eastward: as, he went east.Eccles., toward the point conventionally regarded as the east; in the direction of or beyond the altar as seen from the nave: as, the chapel east of the choir is commonly called the Lady Chapel.To move toward the east; turn or veer toward the east.
