- West
- West 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}.]
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
And fresh from the west is the free wind's breath. --Bryant. [1913 Webster]
2. A country, or region of country, which, with regard to some other country or region, is situated in the direction toward the west. [1913 Webster]
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. [1913 Webster]
{West by north}, {West by south}, according to the notation of the mariner's compass, that point which lies 111/4[deg] to the north or south, respectively, of the point due west.
{West northwest}, {West southwest}, that point which lies 221/2[deg] to the north or south of west, or halfway between west and northwest or southwest, respectively. See Illust. of {Compass}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
