west

Universal Words noun, adjective, adverb noun [U,sing.] (abbreviation W) 1 (usually the west) the direction that you look towards to see the sun set; one of the four main points of the COMPASS: Which way is west? * Rain is spreading from the west. * He lives to the west of (= further west than) the town. compareEAST, NORTH, SOUTH 2 (the West) Europe, N America and Canada, contrasted with eastern countries: I was born in Japan, but I've lived in the West for some years now. 3 (the West) (AmE) the western side of the US: the history of the American West seealsoTHEMIDWEST, THEWILDWEST 4 (the West) (in the past) western Europe and N America, when contrasted with the Communist countries of Eastern Europe: East-West relations adjective [onlybeforenoun] (abbreviation W) 1 in or towards the west: West Africa * the west coast of Scotland 2 a west wind blows from the west compareWESTERLY adverb towards the west: This room faces west.