orient
Use Orient in a sentence
i noun
1.
a.
the countries of Asia, especially East Asia.
b.
(formerly) the countries to the E of the Mediterranean.
2.
Jewelry.
a.
an orient pearl.
b.
the iridescence of a pearl.
3.
the east; the eastern region of the heavens or the world.
verb (used with object)
4.
to adjust with relation to, or bring into due relation to surroundings, circumstances, facts, etc.
5.
to familiarize (a person) with new surroundings or circumstances, or the like: lectures designed to orient the new students.
6.
to place in any definite position with reference to the points of the compass or other locations: to orient a building north and south.
7.
to direct or position toward a particular object: Orient it toward that house.
8.
to determine the position of in relation to the points of the compass; get the bearings of.
9.
to place so as to face the east, especially to build (a church) with the chief altar to the east and the chief entrance to the west.
10.
Surveying. to set (the horizontal circle of a surveying instrument) so that readings give correct azimuths.
11.
Mathematics. to assign to (a surface) a constant, outward direction at each point.
00:10
Orient
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
| to flee; abscond: |
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
verb (used without object)
12.
to turn toward the east or in any specified direction.
adjective
13.
(of a gem or pearl) exceptionally fine and lustrous; oriental.
14.
Archaic. rising or appearing, especially as from below the horizon: the orient sun.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin orient- (stem of oriēns) the east, sunrise, noun use of present participle of orīrī to rise; see -ent
1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin orient- (stem of oriēns) the east, sunrise, noun use of present participle of orīrī to rise; see -ent
Related forms
o·ri·ent·er, noun
self-o·ri·ent·ed, adjective
well-o·ri·ent·ed, adjective
Synonyms
5. accustom, relate, orientate.
5. accustom, relate, orientate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To orient
Collins
World English Dictionary
| orient | |
| —n | |
| 1. | poetic another word for east Compare occident |
| 2. | archaic the eastern sky or the dawn |
| 3. | a. the iridescent lustre of a pearl |
| b. (as modifier): orient pearls | |
| 4. | a pearl of high quality |
| —adj | |
| 5. | poetic chiefly eastern |
| 6. | archaic (of the sun, stars, etc) rising |
| —vb | |
| 7. | to adjust or align (oneself or something else) according to surroundings or circumstances |
| 8. | (tr) to position, align, or set (a map, surveying instrument, etc) with reference to the points of the compass or other specific directions |
| 9. | (tr) to set or build (a church) in an easterly direction |
| [C18: via French from Latin oriēns rising (sun), from orīrī to rise] | |
Orient (ˈɔːrɪənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the countries east of the Mediterranean |
| 2. | the eastern hemisphere |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
Orient
c.1300, "the East" (originally usually meaning what is now called the Mid-East), from O.Fr. orient (11c.), from L. orientem (nom. oriens) "the rising sun, the east, part of the sky where the sun rises," originally "rising" (adj.), prp. of oriri "to rise" (see
orchestra). The Orient Express was a train that ran from Paris to Istanbul via Vienna 1883-1961, from the start associated with espionage and intrigue.
orient
c.1727, originally "to arrange facing east," from Fr. s'orienter "to take one's bearings," lit. "to face the east" (also the source of Ger. orientierung), from O.Fr. orient "east," from L. orientum (see Orient (n.)). Meaning "determine bearings" first attested 1842; figurative sense is from 1850.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
orient o·ri·ent (ôr'ē-ənt, -ěnt')
v. or·i·ent·ed, or·i·ent·ing, or·i·ents
To locate or place in a particular relation to the points of the compass.
To align or position with respect to a point or system of reference.
To make familiar with or adjusted to facts, principles, or a situation.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
Similarly magazine business will have to orient itself to a different future if it exists at all.
He explains that state-of-the-art mobile robots orient themselves by sensing special markers placed on floors, walls, or ceilings.
Desert ants travel long distances to find food, using celestial cues to orient themselves and find their way.
Orient your bed north-south for maximum sun exposure.
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