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orient

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o⋅ri⋅ent

  [n., adj. awr-ee-uhnt, ‑ee-ent, ohr-; v. awr-ee-ent, ohr‑]
Use orient in a Sentence
–noun
1. the Orient,
a. the countries of Asia, esp. 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, esp. 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.
–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, esp. as from below the horizon: the orient sun.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < MF < L orient- (s. of oriēns) the east, sunrise, n. use of prp. of orīrī to rise; see -ent

Related forms:
o⋅ri⋅ent⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
5. accustom, relate, orientate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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o·ri·ent   (ôr'ē-ənt, -ěnt', ōr'-)   
n.  

  1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia.

    1. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality.

    2. A pearl having exceptional luster.

  3. Archaic The place on the horizon where the sun rises; the east.

adj.  

  1. Having exceptional luster: orient gemstones.

  2. Archaic Eastern; oriental.

  3. Archaic Rising in the sky; ascending.

v.   (ôr'ē-ěnt', ōr'-) or·i·ent·ed, or·i·ent·ing, or·i·ents

v.   tr.

  1. To locate or place in a particular relation to the points of the compass: orient the swimming pool north and south.

    1. To locate or position so as to face the east.

    2. To build (a church) with the nave laid out in an east-west direction and the main altar usually at the eastern end.

  3. To align or position with respect to a point or system of reference: oriented the telescope toward the moon; oriented her interests toward health care.

  4. To determine the bearings of.

  5. To make familiar with or adjusted to facts, principles, or a situation.

  6. To focus (the content of a story or film, for example) toward the concerns and interests of a specific group.

v.   intr.

  1. To turn toward the east.

  2. To become adjusted or aligned.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin oriēns, orient-, rising sun, east, from present participle of orīrī, to arise, be born; see er-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Orient  (n.)
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. Oriental (adj.) is attested from c.1391, from O.Fr. oriental (12c.), from L. orientalis "of the east," from orientem. Originally in ref. to the sky, geographical sense is attested from c.1477; oriental carpet first recorded 1868 (in C.L. Eastlake). The noun meaning "native or inhabitant of the east" is from 1701. Orientalism in ref. to character, style, trait, or idiom felt to be from the Orient is from 1769.

orient  (v.)
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; fig. sense is from 1850. Orienteering in ref. to a competitive sport is attested from 1948. Orientation is from 1839 and originally meant "arrangement of a building, etc., to face east or any other specified direction;" sense of "the action of determining one's bearings" is from 1868.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ori·ent
Pronunciation: 'Or-E-"ent, 'or-
Function: transitive verb
1 : to set or arrange in any determinate position especially inrelation to the points of the compass
2 : to acquaint with or adjust according to the existing situation or environment
3 : to cause the axes of the moleculesof to assume the same direction
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

orient o·ri·ent (ôr'ē-ənt, -ěnt')
v. or·i·ent·ed, or·i·ent·ing, or·i·ents

  1. To locate or place in a particular relation to the points of the compass.

  2. To align or position with respect to a point or system of reference.

  3. 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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