释义 |
west I. \ˈwest\ adverb Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German westar to the west, Old Norse vestr and probably to Latin vesper, vespera evening, Greek hesperos 1. : to, toward, or in the west : westward 2. : to the realm of the departed beyond the sunset — used in the phrase to go west < realized what awaited her if I ‘went west’ — Time > < what had seemed a promising line of research had gone west — F.W.Crofts > II. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English west-, from west, adverb 1. a. : situated toward or at the west < the west meadow > < the west side of the house > b. [Middle English, from Old English westan-, from westan, adverb; akin to Old High German westana from the west, Old Norse vestan; derivative from the root of English west (I) ] : coming from the west < a west wind > 2. : situated in the opposite direction from the altar of a church : lying in that part of the church directly opposite the chancel III. noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English, from west, adverb 1. a. : the general direction of sunset : the direction towad the left of one facing north b. : the part of the sky in which celestial bodies set; specifically : the place on the horizon where the sun sets when it is near one of the equinoxes c. : the cardinal point directly opposite to east — abbr. W; see compass card d. : the point of the horizon having an azimuth or bearing of 270° and marking one intersection of the horizon and the celestial equator : the direction of the sky's daily apparent rotation : the direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation and its revolution around the sun 2. usually capitalized a. : regions or countries lying to the west of a specified or implied point of orientation (as in the United States the states lying in general west of the Mississippi river); specifically : the noncommunist countries of Europe and America < held discussions on disarmament proposals put forward by the West > b. : something (as people, culture, or institutions) characteristic of the West < a book such as this makes for closer understanding between the East and the West for the insight it gives into the Chinese mind — Times Literary Supplement > < accused the West of plotting a new war — Sat. Eve. Post > < the old West of gun-toting marshals and Pony Express > 3. : the west wind 4. often capitalized a. : the one of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies toward the west b. : a person (as a bridge player) occupying such a position in the course of a specific activity IV. intransitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Middle English westen, from west, adverb : to move or veer toward the west V. noun (-s) Etymology: origin unknown dialect England : sty IV |