west

plural wests

1. The direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation, specifically 270°.

   Portugal lies to the west of Spain.

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   We used to live in the west of the country.

2. The western region or area; the inhabitants thereof.First known use circa 1300
3. ecclesiasticalIn a church: the direction of the gallery, opposite to the altar, and opposite to the direction faced by the priest when celebrating ad orientem.

   The seating for honored persons (clergy) is at the liturgical west, opposite the entrance and lectern.

   2000, Mark L. MacDonald, The Chant of Life: Liturgical Studies Four, Church Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 98

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   In two respects, however, the cathedral [of St. Mary's in Sydney, Australia] differs from English traditions: it is oriented north-south, not east-west; and its main entry is from the south (liturgical west) between the two towers, in the French manner.

   1997, John Haskell, John Callanan, Sydney Architecture, UNSW Press, →ISBN

   In most worship spaces, this will put the thurifer and gospeller facing liturgical west, book bearer facing liturgical east (or the book on the reading desk), and the torch bearers turned inward, facing the book.

   2007, Patrick Malloy, Celebrating the Eucharist: A Practical Ceremonial Guide for Clergy and Other Liturgical Ministers, Church Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 155

   Throughout the book I refer directionally to the altar and chancel of St. Andrew's as situated at ecclesiastical east (to avoid overcomplicating matters), not geographical or magnetic southeast. Thus, the altar is located at the east end of the church, and the gallery, at the west.

   2014, Paul Porwoll, Against All Odds: History of Saint Andrew's Parish Church, Charleston, 1706-2013, WestBow Press, →ISBN, page 365

1. not comparableSituated or lying in or toward the west; westward.
2. not comparableclimatologyOf wind: from the west.
3. not comparableOf or pertaining to the west; western.
4. not comparableFrom the West; occidental.
5. not comparableecclesiasticalDesignating, or situated in, the liturgical west, that part of a church which is opposite to, and farthest from, the part containing the chancel.

   as in the mosaic of the ascension on San Frediano's liturgical west (geographically east) façade.

   2017, Stephen Kite, Building Ruskin's Italy: Watching Architecture, Routledge, →ISBN, page 48

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   Interior in 1925, (left) looking north to chancel and (right) looking south (to liturgical west end) It was on account of this connection that St James's became the clowns 'church', an annual clowns' service being held there ...

   2008, Philip Temple, Northern Clerkenwell and Pentonville, Paul Mellon Ctr for Studies, →ISBN, page 356

   Spence had decided on a huge image of Christ on the [liturgical] east end [which is the geographic north], filling the entire wall and to be visible through the [liturgical] West Window (Fig. 24.2).

   2019, Sarah Hosking, "Coventry Cathedral", in Prickett Stephen Prickett, Edinburgh Companion to the Bible and the Arts, Edinburgh University Press, →ISBN, page 371

comparative further west · comparative farther west · superlative furthest west · superlative farthest west

1. Towards the west; westwards.

   This thoroughfare bears (to the) West.

present singular third person wests · participle present westing · participle past wested · past wested

1. intransitiveTo move to the west; (of the sun), to set.First known use 15th c.

   Foure times his place he shifted hath in sight, / And twice has risen, where he now doth West, / And wested twice, where he ought rise aright.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Prologue”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

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   The ships would leave Europe in April, when there was a good easterly wind. Trans-Atlantic mariners wanted the wind dead on the stern, so they could run with it, sticking to the same latitude—a method called easting and westing. Columbus, Cabot, and many others had done this. Until the eighteenth century, there was no reliable way to measure longitude, which helps explain why so many could make landfalls from the Bahamas to Newfoundland and believe they were near Asia. Latitude could be fixed by the relationship to the North Star or the sun, one of the few things known in the sixteenth century about celestial navigation. Westing ships out of Bristol reached the Labrador coast and dropped down to Newfoundland. Bretons went straight to the Grand Bank and St. John's. If a ship left the harbor at La Rochelle, dropping below the two islands that protect that harbor, and then stuck to its latitude, it would make landfall at Cape Breton, where the French station of Louisbourg was established so that La Rochelle ships could easily find it.

   1997, Mark Kurlansky, “Chapter 4: 1620: The Rock and the Cod”, in Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, Walker, →ISBN

plural Wests

1. Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
   1. countableuncountableThe western world; i.e. the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

      The relationship between China and the West has worsened since U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier this month against Beijing's wishes.

      2022 August 24, Steve Scherer, Ismail Shakil, “China warns of 'forceful measures' if Canada interferes in Taiwan”, in Tomasz Janowski, editor, Reuters, archived from the original on 24 Aug 2022, World

   2. countablehistoricaluncountableThe Western Bloc (the non-communist nations of Europe and America).

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      When I came to Washington forty-seven years ago, the predominant issue was ensuring that the United States would step up to the communist threat, both abroad and at home. The ultimate satisfaction is to have lived long enough to see the West defeat communism and begin a new, equally arduous, equally noble campaign to ensure the victory of freedom, both abroad and at home.

      1994 [1994 March 30], Richard Nixon, “Author's Note”, in Beyond Peace, New York: Random House, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 253

   3. UScountableuncountableThe Western United States (sometimes excluding the West Coast), particularly (historical) in reference to the 19th century Wild West.

      I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.

      1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

   4. countablehistoricaluncountableThe Western Roman Empire, or its successors.
   5. countableuncountableChristianityThe part of the Christian Church whose traditions and practices originated in the territories of the former Western Roman Empire, including the Roman Catholic Church and the churches of the Reformation.

      I shall constantly reckon among the Saints those whom the Eastern Church, whether with or without the consent of the West, so accounts.

      1850, John Mason Neale, A History of the Holy Eastern Church, Part I, London: Joseph Masters, Aldersgate Street, and 78, New Bond Street, pages 8–9

   6. countableuncountableA town in Holmes County, Mississippi, United States.
   7. countableuncountableA city in McLennan County, Texas, United States.
   8. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Wetzel County, West Virginia, United States.
   9. countableuncountableA number of townships in the United States, in Illinois (2), Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania, listed under West Township.
2. countableuncountableOne of four positions at 90-degree intervals that lies to the west or on the left of a diagram.
3. countableA person (as a bridge player) occupying this position during a specified activity.
4. countableA surname from Middle English for a newcomer from the west, or someone who lived to the west of a village.

   Kanye West took to social media to speak about mental health after a fan claimed that the rapper was “off his meds”.

   2022 February 11, Peony Hirwani, “Kanye West tells fan who suggested he’s off medication to ‘be more conscious’”, in The Independent