▪ I. easter, n.2 dial.
Forms: 6 astire, 9 ester, 7– easter. See also astre.
[a. OF. aistre, astre (mod.F. âtre) hearth.]
(See quot.)
| 1541 Schole-house of Women in Hazlitt E.P.P. IV. 129 Bad her take the pot..set it abooue upon the astire. 1674 Ray N.C. Wds., Easter, the back of the chimney or chimney stock. 1848 A. B. Leicestershire Wds., Ester, back of the fire-place. ‘My hay..is as black as the Ester.’ |
▪ II. † ˈeaster, a. Obs.
Also 4 ester, 6 Sc. eister.
[perh. comparative of east a. (OE. had éasterra); possibly suggested by Du. ooster- in compounds.]
Nearest the east; eastern (part of a country, a building, etc.). Also in comb., as easter-board.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (1865) I. 257 Boemya is þe firste prouince of þat ester Germania. 1513–75 Diurn. Occurr. (1833) 29 James Colvillis sone [was restoirit] to his landis of eister Weymes. 1591 Harington tr. Ariosto's Orl. Fur. xxiii. vi, The dawning brake, and all the Easter parts were full of light. 1622 R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea (1847) 117 This bay is all sandie and cleane ground on the easter part. Ibid. 135 One evening, being calme, and a goodly cleare in the easter-boord, I willed our anchor to be weyed. 1708 Lond. Gaz. No. 4430/4 The Town of Anstruther-Easter. 1777 Watson Philip II (1793) I. x. 448 Covering it from north to south, that is, from the Easter to the Wester Scheld, with water. 1816 Scott Old Mort. x, He's keeping guard o'er Milnwood in the easter round of the tower. |