West , a. (Eccl.)
Designating, or situated in,
that part of a church which is opposite to, and farthest from, the east, or the part containing the chancel and choir.
West , v. i.
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.
West , adv. [AS. west.]
Westward.
West , a. 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 end, the fashionable part of London, commencing from the east, at
Charing Cross.
West (?), n. [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.]
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 by north, West by south, according to the notation of the mariner's compass, that point which lies 11¼°
to the north or south, respectively, of the point
due west. -- West northwest, West southwest, that point which lies 22½° to the north or
south of west, or halfway between west and northwest or southwest, respectively. See
Illust. of Compass.