Zi:东

东(F​東) [dōng] (东​方) east; 东​西 dōngxi thing; (component: ​冻​栋​陈…)

One monosyllabic entry in The ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary (namespace Ci):

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The simple-form character 东 (5 strokes) is an abbrev. of the full-form character ​東 (8 strokes), keeping the strokes of the full-form component ​木 (4 strokes), but replacing ​日 (4 strokes) with ​𠃋 (1 stroke).
    The Shuōwén Seal form of 东/​東 dōng ‘east’ depicts ​日 rì ‘sun’ in the middle of ​木 ‘tree’, which is said to be ​榑/​扶​桑 fúsāng ‘legendary divine (mulberry) tree of the dawn’.
    Note: ​桑​树 sāngshù ‘mulberry’ is the food of the ​桑​蚕 sāngcán ‘silkworm’, the insect producing silk (dyed/colorful); cf. ​䗖​𬟽 ‘rainbow’; ​冻/​凍 dòng ‘thick ice’ (SW).
    Compare: ​棲 xi ‘roost’, a SW variant of ​西(​㢴) xī ‘west’, also with ‘tree’; ​果 guǒ ‘fruit’ (in which ​田 depicts a fruit in the branches of the tree).
    “[​東] The ​日 sun appearing at the horizon. To show that it is on a level with the horizon, it is represented shining under the top of the ​木 trees that are at the horizon...​从​日​在​木​中. By extension, the East whence light rises” —Wieger.
    Note: 东​西 dōngxi ‘thing/things’ ⇐ ‘produce/products of the world (4 cardinal directions)’ ⇐ ‘4 cardinal directions’ ⇐ ‘east-west’ (HDC).
    Note: 东​西 → 东​方​与​西​方 → ​四​方 → ​物​产​于​四​方, ​约​言​称​之​为东​西 → ​泛​指​各​种​具​体​或​抽​象​的​事​物
    Compare: ​杲 gǎo ‘sunrise/bright’ (​杲​杲); ​杳 yǎo ‘dim/obscure’ (​杳​冥); ​莫(​𦶛) mù ‘twilight/dusk’ (​暮​色).
►references: Wieger:120k; Henshall:184; Karlgren:AD1146; Hànyǔ Dà Zìdiǎn:1.17.5; Bǐshùn Guīfàn:014.0.03; EDOC:0
►components: ​木​𠃋​
►Cantonese: dung\
►stroke 东 (... strokes)   
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Unicode: U+4E1C
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