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west

(wĕst)

1. Abbr. W

a. The cardinal point on the mariner's compass 270° clockwise from due north and directly opposite east.

b. The direction opposite to the direction of the earth's axial rotation.

2. An area or region lying in the west.

3. often West

a. The western part of the earth, especially Europe and the Western Hemisphere.

b. The western part of a region or country.

4. often West

a. A historical region of the United States west of the Allegheny Mountains.

b. The region of the United States west of the Mississippi River.

5. often West

a. The United States, Canada, and the noncommunist countries of Europe, especially during the Cold War.

b. The nations of North America and Europe with developed capitalist economies, especially in contrast to less-developed nations.

6. The end of a church opposite the altar. Also called liturgical west.

adj.

1. To, toward, of, facing, or in the west.

2. Originating in or coming from the west: a gentle west wind.

adv.

In, from, or toward the west.

[Middle English, from Old English; see wes-pero- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

West, Dame Rebecca Pen name of Cicily Isabel Fairfield Andrews. 1892-1983.

British writer and critic whose works include psychological novels, such as The Judge (1922), critical studies, as of Henry James (1916), a historical study of Yugoslavia (1941), and several reports on the Nuremberg trials.

(click for a larger image)

Dame Rebecca West

photographed c. 1982

West, Nathanael Pen name of Nathan Weinstein. 1903-1940.

American writer known for his novels of dark comedy, such as Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939).

West, Benjamin 1738-1820.

American painter. The first American to study art in Italy (1760-1763), he settled in England and quickly became a prominent artist. The Death of General Wolfe (1770) is among his most important works.

West, Mae 1892?-1980.

American actress known for her sultry stage persona. Her films include I'm No Angel (1933) and My Little Chickadee (1940).

West, Jerome Alan Known as "Jerry." Born 1938.

American basketball player, coach, and general manager. As guard for the Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974), he became one of the National Basketball Association's all-time scoring leaders, and as coach and general manager he helped lead the Lakers to six world championships.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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