Orient
Origin
From Middle English orient, from Old French orient, from Latin oriens ("rising; as a noun, the quarter where the sun rises, the east, day"), present participle of oriri ("to rise").
Full definition of orient
Verb
- (transitive) To familiarize with a situation or circumstance.Give him time to orient himself within the new hierarchy.
- (transitive) To set the focus of so as to relate or appeal to a certain group.We will orient our campaign to the youth who are often disinterested.
- (transitive) To point at or direct towards.I will orient all of the signs to face the road.
- (transitive) To determine which direction one is facing.Let me just orient myself and we can be on our way.
- (transitive) To place or build so as to face eastward.
- (intransitive) To change direction so as to face east.
- (by extension) To change direction to face a certain way.
Synonyms
- orientate UK
Derived terms
Related terms
Noun
orient
(plural orients)- Alternative capitalization of Orient from 14th c.
- The part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning; the east.
- TennysonMorn came furrowing all the orient into gold.
- (obsolete) A pearl of orient. 19th c.
- 1890, Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Vintage 2007, p. 120:Henry II wore jewelled gloves reaching to the elbow, and had a hawk-glove sewn with twelve rubies and fifty-two great orients.
Adjective
orient
- (obsolete, poetic) Rising, like the sun.
- MiltonMoon, that now meet'st the orient sun
- (obsolete) eastern; oriental
- Hakluytthe orient part
- Bright; lustrous; superior; pure; perfect; pellucid; used of gems and also figuratively, because the most perfect jewels are found in the East.
- Jeremy Taylorpearls round and orient
- Wordsworthorient gems
- Miltonorient liquor in a crystal glass