Word of the Day: Occident / Occidental

Oc·ci·dent  [ok-si-duhnt] 

noun

1. the Occident.

a. the West; the countries of Europe and America.

b. Western Hemisphere.

2. ( lowercase ) the west; the western regions.

 

Origin:
Middle English  < Middle French  < Latin occident-  (stem of occidēns ) present participle of occidere  to fall, (of the sun) to set, equivalent to oc- oc- + cid-  (combining form of cadere  to fall) + -ent- -ent

Can be confused: accident, Occident.

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/occident

 

Occidental

noun

Definition of OCCIDENTAL

:  a member of one of the occidental peoples; especially :  a person of European ancestry

 

First Known Use of OCCIDENTAL

1857

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occidental