I. east 1 S1 W2 BrE AmE , 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
II. east 2 BrE AmE , 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
III. east 3 BrE AmE 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.