A term used to describe one of the main branches of the race of Elves. Its meaning is not entirely clear, though it seems to refer to the Dark Elves or Moriquendi, those Elves who never left Middle-earth for the West. However, the term 'East-elves' appears to exclude the Sindar of Beleriand, though as a people the Sindar were properly Dark Elves. As such, 'East-elves' might strictly be defined as those Elves who originally remained east of the Blue Mountains, when the others entered Beleriand.