Eastern

a. and sb. Forms: 1 éasterne, 3 estrin, 4 estren, estern(e, 6–7 easterne, 7– eastern. [OE. éasterne = OS. ôstroni, OHG. ôstrôni (wind), ON. austrœnn:—OTeut. *austrônjo-, f. *austr- EAST; for the suffix ônjo- (? = L. -āneus) cf. northern, southern, western.]

  A.  adj.

  1.  Of or pertaining to the east side of the world, to countries in the East, or to the empire of the East; dwelling in the East; Oriental. Eastern Church: the great communion otherwise called the Greek Church. Eastern question: a general term for the political problems relating to Eastern Europe.

a. 1000.  Ags. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 228. Eoi magi, easterne tungelwiteʓan.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 11388. A prophet of estrinland, hight balaam, crafti and bald.

1593.  Hooker, Eccl. Pol., IV. xi. His desire was that of the two the Easterne Church should rather yield.

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., V. ii. 311. Oh Easterne Starre.

1732.  Pope, Ess. Man, II. 27. As Eastern priests in giddy circles run.

1872.  Morley, Voltaire (1886), 81–2. The simple political conception of an eastern tale, a good-tempered despot with a sage vizier.

  2.  Lying towards the east; having a position relatively east; facing eastward.

1593.  Shaks., Rich. II., III. ii. 42. He [the sun] fires the prowd tops of the Easterne Pines.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 541. The eastern Gate of Paradise.

1705.  Addison, Italy, 252 (J.). The Eastern End of the Isle rises up in Precipices.

1841.  W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., II. 18. The greatest names of the church continued to be found in the eastern quarter of the empire.

1860.  Tyndall, Glac., I. § 11. 74. A pale light now overspread the eastern sky.

  b.  Having an eastward direction. rare.

1713.  Addison, Guardian, No. 107, ¶ 8 (J.). A Ship at Sea has no certain Method, in either her Eastern or Western Voyages.

  3.  Of the wind: Blowing from the east. poet.

a. 1000.  Cædmon’s Gen., 315 (Gr.). Ðonne cymð on uhtan easterne wind.

1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 142. Fan’d with the Easterne winde.

1762.  Falconer, Shipwr., I. 638 (1764), 33 (R.).

1842.  Tennyson, Audley Crt., 52. She was sharper than an eastern wind.

  B.  sb. a. An inhabitant of the East; an oriental. b. A member of the Eastern Church.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Job (Thwaite), 167 (Bosw.). Se wer wæs swiðe mære betwux eallum easternum.

1862.  J. Gadsby, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. cxix. 136. Most of the easterns shed tears much more copiously than the people of Europe.

1865.  Pusey, Truth Eng. Ch., 60. S. Meletius remained in the communion of the Easterns.

1884.  Graphic, 4 Oct., 360/2. These degenerate Easterns, who … rush at and devour French novels of the lowest type.

  Hence Easterner (U.S.), an inhabitant of one of the eastern or New England states.

1864.  Lowell, Biglow P., Wks. (1879), 246. One hears such not seldom among us Easterners.