East

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See also: east

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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The civil parish is named for its geographical location. Coined by British-Dutch surveyor Samuel Holland.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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East (countable and uncountable, plural Easts)

  1. A personification of the wind from the east.
    • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part I”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, [], →OCLC, page 23:
      [] I sat down and wrote, / In such a hand as when a field of corn / Bows all its ears before the roaring East; []
    • 1859, Charles Dickens, “Fire Rises”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, [], →OCLC, book II (The Golden Thread), page 158:
      Up the two terrace flights of steps the rain ran wildly, and beat at the great door, like a swift messenger rousing those within; uneasy rushes of wind went through the hall, []. East, West, North, and South, through the woods, four heavy-treading, unkempt figures crushed the high grass and cracked the branches, striding on cautiously to come together in the court-yard.
  2. The Eastern world; the regions, primarily situated in the Eastern Hemisphere, whose culture is derived from Arabia, India, Persia or China.
    • 1868 January 4 – June 6, [William] Wilkie Collins, “Second Period. The Discovery of the Truth. (1848–1849.) [] [Third Narrative. Contributed by Franklin Blake.]”, in The Moonstone. A Romance. [], volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, [], published 1868, →OCLC, chapter III, page 282:
      I remember a hearty welcome; a prodigious supper, which would have fed a whole village in the East; []
    • 1999, Pay Attention to Daniel's Prophecy![1], Brooklyn, NY: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, →OCLC, →OL, page 118:
      ¹⁰ In any event, Darius' visitors urged him to "establish the statute and sign the writing, in order for it not to be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which is not annulled." (Daniel 6:8) In the ancient East, the will of a king was often regarded as absolute. This perpetuated the notion that he was infallible. Even a law that could cause the death of innocent people had to remain in effect!
      10. How did the Medes and the Persians view a law enacted by their king?
  3. The Eastern Bloc; the eastern countries of Europe.
  4. (historical) the Soviet Union and its socialist allies during the Cold War.
  5. The eastern states of the United States.
  6. The eastern part of any region.
  7. A civil parish of Kings County, Prince Edward Island, Canada. [From 1765]
  8. A surname.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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