west Meaning, Definition & Usage

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

WordNet

West noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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 adjective
Definitions
  1. 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 adverb
Etymology
AS. west.
Definitions
  1. Westward.
West intransitive verb
Definitions
  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 1913