The noun is derived from Middle English orient, oriente, oryent, oryente, oryentte, borrowed from Anglo-Norman orient, oriente, and Old French orient (modern French orient), or directly from its etymon Latin oriēns, present active participle of orior, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er-.

The adjective is derived from Middle English orient, from Middle English orient; see above.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɔː.ɹɪ.ənt/, /ˈɒɹ.ɪ.ənt/
• (America) IPA: /ˈɔɹ.i.ənt/

1. Usually preceded by the: Alternative case form of Orient [from 14th c.]

   Antonyms: occident

orient (plural orients)

1. The part of the horizon where the sun first appears in the morning; the east.
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 7”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […]‎, London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC ↗:

     Loe in the Orient when the gracious light,
     Lifts vp his burning head, each vnder eye
     Doth homage to his new appearing ſight, [...]

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part III”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC ↗, page 47 ↗:

     Morn in the white wake of the morning star / Came furrowing all the orient into gold.

2. (obsolete) A pearl originating from the Indian region, reputed to be of great brilliance; (by extension) any pearl of particular beauty and value. [19th c.]
   • 1831, Thomas Carlyle, “Editorial Difficulties”, in Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh. […], London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC ↗, 1st book, page 5 ↗:

     It is indeed an 'extensive Volume,' of boundless, almost formless contents, a very Sea of Thought; neither calm nor clear, if you will; yet wherein the toughest pearl-diver may dive to his utmost depth, and return not only with sea-wreck but with true orients.

   • 1891, Oscar Wilde, chapter XI, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London, New York, N.Y., Melbourne, Vic.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC ↗, page 204 ↗:

     Henry II. wore jewelled gloves reaching to the elbow, and had a hawk-glove sewn with twelve rubies and fifty-two great orients.

3. (by extension) The brilliance or colour of a high-quality pearl.

orient (not comparable)

1. (dated, poetic, also, figuratively) Rising, like the morning sun.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗, lines 175–176:

     Moon, that now meetſt the orient sun, now fli'ſt / With the fixt Starrs, fixt in thir Orb that flies, [...]

2. (dated, poetic) Of the colour of the sky at daybreak; bright in colour, from red to yellow.

   Synonyms: Orient red

   • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXVI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC ↗, page 278 ↗:

     Then, I do so like the one or two principal walks, neatly edged with box, cut with most precise regularity, keeping guard over favourite plants:—columbines, bending on their slender stems; rose-bushes, covered with buds enough to furnish roses for months; pinks, with their dark eyes; and the orient glow of the marigold.

3. (obsolete, except, poetic) Of, facing, or located in the east; eastern, oriental.

   Antonyms: occidental

   • 1527, Robert Thorne, “The Booke Made by the Right Worshipfull Master Robert Thorne in the Yeere 1527. in Siuill to Doctourley, Lorde Ambassadour for King Henrie the Eight to Charles the Emperour [Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor], being an Information of the Parts of the World, Discouered by Him and the King of Portingale: And also of the Way to the Moluccaes by the North”, in R[ichard] H[akluyt], compiler, Divers Voyages Touching the Discouerie of America, and the Ilands adiacent vnto the Same, […], London: […] [Thomas Dawson] for Thomas Woodcocke, […], published 1582, →OCLC ↗, signature C, verso ↗:

     To ſhewe that though this figure of the worlde in playne or flat ſeemeth to haue an ende, yet one imagining that this ſayde carde were ſet vpon a round thing, where the endes ſhoulde touche by the lines, it would plainely appeare howe the Orient part ioyneth with the Occident, as there without the lines it is deſcribed & figured.

4. (obsolete, except, poetic) Of a pearl or other gem: of great brilliance and value; (by extension) bright, lustrous.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:shining

   • 1580, R[ichard] H[akluyt], compiler, “Notes in Writing besides More Priuie by Mouth that were Giuen by a Gentleman, Anno. 1580. to M. Arthure Pette and to M. Charles Iackman, Sent by the Marchants of the Muscouie Companie for the Discouerie of the Northeast Strayte,”, in Divers Voyages Touching the Discouerie of America, and the Ilands adiacent vnto the Same, […], London: […] [Thomas Dawson] for Thomas Woodcocke, […], published 1582, →OCLC ↗:

     Thinges to be carried with you, whereof more or leſſe is to be caried for a ſhewe of our commodities to bee made. Kerſies of all orient coulours, ſpecially of ſtamel [a fine worsted], brodecloth of orient colours alſo.

   • 1589, Ralph Lane, “An Account of the Peculiarities of the Imployments of the English Men Left in Virginia by Sir Richard Greeneuill vnder the Charge of Master Ralfe Lane General of the same, from the 17. of August, 1585, vntill the 18. of Iune 1586, at which Time They Departed the Countrie: [...]”, in Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, 1st part (Declaring the Particularities of the Countrey of Virginia), page 739 ↗:

     [...] He gaue me a rope of the ſame Pearle, but they were blacke, and naught, yet many of them were very great, and a fewe amongſt a number very orient and round, [...]

   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene iv], page 198 ↗, column 1:

     The liquid drops of Teares that you have ſhed,
     Shall come againe, transform'd to Orient Pearle, [...]

   • 1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC ↗; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC ↗, page 3 ↗:

     And in thick ſhelter of black ſhades imbowr'd / Excells his Mother at her mightie Art / Offring to every wearie Travailer / His [Comus's] orient liquor in a Chryſtall glaſſe / To quench the drouth of Phœbus, [...]

   • c. 1806–1809 (date written), William Wordsworth, “Book the Fourth. Despondency Corrected.”, in The Excursion, being a Portion of The Recluse, a Poem, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], published 1814, →OCLC ↗, page 166 ↗:

     […] books are your's, / Within whose silent chambers treasure lies / Preserved from age to age; more precious far / Than that accumulated store of gold / And orient gems, which for a day of need / The Sultan hides within ancestral tombs.

The verb is derived from French orienter from French Orient (see above) + -er.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɔː.ɹɪˌɛnt/, /ˈɒɹ.ɪˌɛnt/
• (America) IPA: /ˈɔɹ.iˌɛnt/

orient (orients, present participle orienting; simple past and past participle oriented) (commonly US)

1. (transitive) To build or place (something) so as to face eastward.
2. (transitive, by extension) To align or place (a person or object) so that his, her, or its east side, north side, etc., is positioned toward the corresponding points of the compass; (specifically, surveying) to rotate (a map attached to a plane table) until the line of direction between any two of its points is parallel to the corresponding direction in nature.

   Synonyms: orientate

3. (transitive) To direct towards or point at a particular direction.

   Synonyms: orientate

   The workers oriented all the signs to face the road.

4. (transitive, reflexive) To determine which direction one is facing.

   Let me just orient myself and we can be on our way.

5. (transitive, often, reflexive, figuratively) To familiarize (oneself or someone) with a circumstance or situation.

   Synonyms: orientate

   Antonyms: disorient, disorientate

   Give him time to orient himself within the new hierarchy.

6. (transitive, figuratively) To set the focus of (something) so as to appeal or relate to a certain group.

   We will orient our campaign to the youth who are often disinterested.

7. (intransitive) To change direction to face a certain way.

• oriental, Oriental
• orientalism
• orientalist
• orienteer
• orienteering
• origin

• Italian: orientare
• Portuguese: orientar
• Spanish: orientar

• French: orienter
• German: orientieren
• Italian: orientarsi
• Portuguese: orientar
• Russian: ориенти́роваться
• Spanish: orientar

• Portuguese: orientar
• Russian: ориенти́ровать

See orient.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈɔː.ɹɪ.ənt/
• (America) IPA: /ˈɔɹ.i.ənt/, /ˈɒɹ.ɪ-/

1. Usually preceded by the: a region or a part of the world to the east of a certain place; countries of Asia, the East (especially East Asia).

   Antonyms: Occident

2. (dated) The countries east of the Mediterranean.

• oriental
• orientalia
• orientalist
• Orient Express

1. A city/and/town in Illinois.
2. A city/and/town in Iowa.
3. A town in Maine.
4. A census-designated place/and/hamlet in New York.
5. A town/and/village in South Dakota.

orient (plural orients)

1. A pear cultivar from the United States