East vs Least - What's the difference?
east | least |
One of the four principal compass points, specifically 90°, conventionally directed to the right on maps; the direction of the rising sun at an equinox.
* 1895 , , Jude the Obscure — In a few hours the birds come to it from all points of the compass – east, west, north, and south...
Situated or lying in or towards the east; eastward.
(meteorology) wind from the east
Of or pertaining to the east; eastern.
From the East; oriental.
towards the east; eastwards
(little);The smallest amount of [something .
* 1857 , (Edmund March Blunt), The American Coast Pilot: Containing Directions for the Principal Harbors , E. & G.W. Blunt, page 135:
* John Duncan, Duncan's Travels
* , chapter=5
, title= *{{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
, passage=Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour.}}
* 2004 , Jim Baggott, Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory , Oxford University Press, page 48:
Used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est .
In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others.
As a proper noun east
is (personification ) the wind from the east.As a determiner least is
(little);the smallest amount of [something.As an adverb least is
used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est .east
English
(wikipedia east)Noun
Coordinate terms
* (compass point) north, south, westDerived terms
(terms derived from east) * east by north * east by south * easterliness * easterly * eastern * easterner * easting * eastward * eastwardly * eastwards * northeast * north-northeast * southeast * south-southeastAdjective
(-)Synonyms
* (situated or lying in or towards the east) eastward * easterly * (of or pertaining to the east) eastern * (from the East) orientalAntonyms
* (situated or lying in or towards the east) westward * westerly * (of or pertaining to the east) westernAdverb
(-)Synonyms
* (towards the east) eastwardsAntonyms
* (towards the east) west. westwardsAnagrams
* 1000 English basic words ----least
English
Determiner
(en-det) (comparative less)- The least water we could find there was 4 fathoms, which bears from the point S.E., and is distant 1½ mile.
- To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering.
Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=“Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going.}}
- Light does not need to know in advance which is the path of least time because it takes all paths from its source to its destination.
Usage notes
Some grammarians recommend to use least'' only with uncountable nouns, as in the examples above with the ''smallest amount of sense: * 1965 , H. W. Fowler, Fowler’s Modern English Usage: Second Edition : *: [W]hen the context—unemotional statement of everyday facts—is taken into account, at a less price'' ought to be ''at a lower price'', and ''a lesser prize'' ought to be ''a smaller prize . To such grammarians least'' is the superlative of ''a little'', not that of ''little'', so it does not mean ''smallest'', but ''the smallest amount of''. With plural nouns, they recommend ''fewest .Adverb
- It was the least surprising thing.
- to reward those who least deserve it