- 1(also the east) the direction that you look toward to see the sun rise; one of the four main points of the compass Which way is east? A gale was blowing from the east. a town to the east of (= further east than) Las Vegas compare north, south, west
- 2the east the eastern part of a country, region, or city His store is in the east of the town.
- 3the East the part of the United States that is further east than the Mississippi River and further north than Washington, D.C. I was born in the East, but now live in San Francisco.
- 4the East the countries of Asia, especially China, Japan, and India
- 5the East (in the past) the Communist countries of Eastern Europe East-West relations
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