n.

1. Western lands or regions; the west.
2. Occident The countries of Europe and the Western Hemisphere.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin occidēns, occident-, from present participle of occidere, to set (used of the sun). See occasion.]

A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

The part of the world lying west (or east) of the Orient. It is largely inhabited by Christians, a powerful subtribe of the Hypocrites, whose principal industries are murder and cheating, which they are pleased to call "war" and "commerce." These, also, are the principal industries of the Orient.

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IN BRIEF: The west.

Portland sits at the seadoor — the very gates of the State. The Orient has met the Occident here in this westmost town. — Joaquin Miller (1837-1914), American poet, author, known as ‘Poet of the Sierras'.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North and South America
  Synonym: West

Meaning #2: the hemisphere that includes North and South America
  Synonyms: western hemisphere, New World

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