Adjacent Words

Direct definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DIRECT, a. [L., to make straight. See Right.]
1. Straight; right; as, to pass in a direct line from one body or place to another. It is opposed to crooked, winding, oblique. It is also opposed to refracted; as a direct ray of light.
2. In astronomy, appearing to move forward in the zodiac, in the direction of the sign; opposed to retrograde; as, the motion of a planet is direct.
3. In the line of father and sons; opposed to collateral; as a descendant in the direct line.
4. Leading or tending to an end, as by a straight line or course; not circuitous. Thus we speak of direct means to effect an object; a direct course; a direct way.
5. Open; not ambiguous or doubtful.
6. Plain; express; not ambiguous; as, he said this in direct words; he made a direct acknowledgment.
7. In music, a direct interval is that which forms any kind of harmony on the fundamental sound which produces it; as the fifth, major third and octave.
Direct tax, is a tax assess on real estate, as houses and lands.
DIRECT, v.t. [L.]
1. To point or aim in a straight line, towards a place or object; as, to direct an arrow or a piece of ordnance; to direct the eye; to direct a course or flight.
2. To point; to show the right road or course; as, he directed me to the left hand road.
3. To regulate; to guide or lead; to govern; to cause to proceed in a particular manner; as, to direct the affairs of a nation.
Wisdom is profitable to direct. Ecclesiastes 10.
4. To prescribe a course; to mark out a way. Job 37.
5. To order; to instruct; to point out a course of proceeding, with authority; to command. But direct is a softer term than command.
DIRECT, n. In music, a character placed at the end of a stave to direct the performer to the first note of the next stave.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short; "a direct route"; "a direct flight"; "a direct hit" [ant: indirect]
2: having no intervening persons, agents, conditions; "in direct sunlight"; "in direct contact with the voters"; "direct exposure to the disease"; "a direct link"; "the direct cause of the accident"; "direct vote" [syn: direct, unmediated]
3: straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach" [ant: indirect]
4: in a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child; "lineal ancestors"; "lineal heirs"; "a direct descendant of the king"; "direct heredity" [syn: lineal, direct] [ant: collateral, indirect]
5: moving from west to east on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in the same direction as the Earth [ant: retrograde]
6: similar in nature or effect or relation to another quantity; "a term is in direct proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other increases (or decreases)" [ant: inverse]
7: (of a current) flowing in one direction only; "direct current" [ant: alternating]
8: being an immediate result or consequence; "a direct result of the accident"
9: in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker; "a direct quotation"; "repeated their dialog verbatim" [syn: direct, verbatim]
10: lacking compromising or mitigating elements; exact; "the direct opposite" v
1: command with authority; "He directed the children to do their homework"
2: intend (something) to move towards a certain goal; "He aimed his fists towards his opponent's face"; "criticism directed at her superior"; "direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself" [syn: target, aim, place, direct, point]
3: guide the actors in (plays and films)
4: be in charge of
5: take somebody somewhere; "We lead him to our chief"; "can you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to the palace" [syn: lead, take, direct, conduct, guide]
6: cause to go somewhere; "The explosion sent the car flying in the air"; "She sent her children to camp"; "He directed all his energies into his dissertation" [syn: send, direct]
7: point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards; "Please don't aim at your little brother!"; "He trained his gun on the burglar"; "Don't train your camera on the women"; "Take a swipe at one's opponent" [syn: aim, take, train, take aim, direct]
8: lead, as in the performance of a composition; "conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years" [syn: conduct, lead, direct]
9: give directions to; point somebody into a certain direction; "I directed them towards the town hall"
10: specifically design a product, event, or activity for a certain public [syn: calculate, aim, direct]
11: direct the course; determine the direction of travelling [syn: steer, maneuver, manoeuver, manoeuvre, direct, point, head, guide, channelize, channelise]
12: put an address on (an envelope) [syn: address, direct]
13: plan and direct (a complex undertaking); "he masterminded the robbery" [syn: mastermind, engineer, direct, organize, organise, orchestrate] adv
1: without deviation; "the path leads directly to the lake"; "went direct to the office" [syn: directly, straight, direct]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French directer, from Latin directus straight, from past participle of dirigere to direct — more at dress Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. obsolete to write (a letter) to a person b. to mark with the name and address of the intended recipient c. to impart orally d. to adapt in expression so as to have particular applicability <a lawyer who directs his appeals to intelligence> 2. a. to regulate the activities or course of b. to carry out the organizing, energizing, and supervising of <direct a project> c. to dominate and determine the course of d. to train and lead performances of <direct a movie> 3. to cause to turn, move, or point undeviatingly or to follow a straight course <X rays are directed through the body> 4. to point, extend, or project in a specified line or course <direct the nozzle downward> 5. to request or enjoin with authority <the judge directed the jury to acquit the defendant> 6. to show or point out the way for <signs directing us to the entrance> intransitive verb 1. to point out, prescribe, or determine a course or procedure 2. to act as director Synonyms: see command, conduct II. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin directus Date: 15th century 1. having or being motion in the general planetary direction from west to east ; not retrograde 2. a. stemming immediately from a source <direct result> b. being or passing in a straight line of descent from parent to offspring ; lineal <direct ancestor> c. having no compromising or impairing element <a direct insult> 3. a. proceeding from one point to another in time or space without deviation or interruption ; straight <a direct line> b. proceeding by the shortest way <the direct route> 4. natural, straightforward <a direct manner> 5. a. marked by absence of an intervening agency, instrumentality, or influence <making direct observations of nature> b. effected by the action of the people or the electorate and not by representatives <direct democracy> c. consisting of or reproducing the exact words of a speaker or writer <a direct quotation> 6. characterized by close logical, causal, or consequential relationship <direct evidence> 7. capable of dyeing without the aid of a mordant III. adverb Date: 14th century in a direct way: as a. from point to point without deviation ; by the shortest way <flew direct to Miami> b. from the source without interruption or diversion <the writer must take his material direct from life — Douglas Stewart> c. without an intervening agency or step <buy direct from the manufacturer>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., adv., & v. --adj. 1 extending or moving in a straight line or by the shortest route; not crooked or circuitous. 2 a straightforward; going straight to the point. b frank; not ambiguous. 3 without intermediaries or the intervention of other factors (direct rule; the direct result; made a direct approach). 4 (of descent) lineal, not collateral. 5 exact, complete, greatest possible (esp. where contrast is implied) (the direct opposite). 6 Mus. (of an interval or chord) not inverted. 7 Astron. (of planetary etc. motion) proceeding from East to West; not retrograde. --adv. 1 in a direct way or manner; without an intermediary or intervening factor (dealt with them direct). 2 frankly; without evasion. 3 by a direct route (send it direct to London). --v.tr. 1 control, guide; govern the movements of. 2 (foll. by to + infin., or that + clause) give a formal order or command to. 3 (foll. by to) a address or give indications for the delivery of (a letter etc.). b tell or show (a person) the way to a destination. 4 (foll. by at, to, towards) a point, aim, or cause (a blow or missile) to move in a certain direction. b point or address (one's attention, a remark, etc.). 5 guide as an adviser, as a principle, etc. (I do as duty directs me). 6 a (also absol.) supervise the performing, staging, etc., of (a film, play, etc.). b supervise the performance of (an actor etc.). 7 (also absol.) guide the performance of (a group of musicians), esp. as a participant. Phrases and idioms: direct access the facility of retrieving data immediately from any part of a computer file. direct action action such as a strike or sabotage directly affecting the community and meant to reinforce demands on a government, employer, etc. direct address Computing an address (see ADDRESS n. 1c) which specifies the location of data to be used in an operation. direct current an electric current flowing in one direction only. Usage: Abbr.: DC, d.c. direct debit an arrangement for the regular debiting of a bank account at the request of the payee. direct-grant school hist. (in the UK) a school receiving funds from the Government and not from a local authority. direct method a system of teaching a foreign language using only that language and without the study of formal grammar. direct object Gram. the primary object of the action of a transitive verb. direct proportion a relation between quantities whose ratio is constant. direct speech (or oration) words actually spoken, not reported in the third person. direct tax a tax levied on the person who ultimately bears the burden of it, esp. on income. Derivatives: directness n. Etymology: ME f. L directus past part. of dirigere direct- (as DI-(2), regere put straight)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Direct Di*rect", a. (Political Science) Pertaining to, or effected immediately by, action of the people through their votes instead of through one or more representatives or delegates; as, direct nomination, direct legislation.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Demonstration Dem`on*stra"tion, n. [L. demonstratio: cf. F. d['e]monstration.] 1. The act of demonstrating; an exhibition; proof; especially, proof beyond the possibility of doubt; indubitable evidence, to the senses or reason. Those intervening ideas which serve to show the agreement of any two others are called ``proofs;'' and where agreement or disagreement is by this means plainly and clearly perceived, it is called demonstration. --Locke. 2. An expression, as of the feelings, by outward signs; a manifestation; a show. Did your letters pierce the queen to any demonstration of grief? --Shak. Loyal demonstrations toward the prince. --Prescott. 3. (Anat.) The exhibition and explanation of a dissection or other anatomical preparation. 4. (Mil.) a decisive exhibition of force, or a movement indicating an attack. 5. (Logic) The act of proving by the syllogistic process, or the proof itself. 6. (Math.) A course of reasoning showing that a certain result is a necessary consequence of assumed premises; -- these premises being definitions, axioms, and previously established propositions. Direct, or Positive, demonstration (Logic & Math.), one in which the correct conclusion is the immediate sequence of reasoning from axiomatic or established premises; -- opposed to Indirect, or Negative, demonstration (called also reductio ad absurdum), in which the correct conclusion is an inference from the demonstration that any other hypothesis must be incorrect.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tax Tax, n. [F. taxe, fr. taxer to tax, L. taxare to touch, sharply, to feel, handle, to censure, value, estimate, fr. tangere, tactum, to touch. See Tangent, and cf. Task, Taste.] 1. A charge, especially a pecuniary burden which is imposed by authority. Specifically: (a) A charge or burden laid upon persons or property for the support of a government. A farmer of taxes is, of all creditors, proverbially the most rapacious. --Macaulay. (b) Especially, the sum laid upon specific things, as upon polls, lands, houses, income, etc.; as, a land tax; a window tax; a tax on carriages, and the like. Note: Taxes are annual or perpetual, direct or indirect, etc. (c) A sum imposed or levied upon the members of a society to defray its expenses. 2. A task exacted from one who is under control; a contribution or service, the rendering of which is imposed upon a subject. 3. A disagreeable or burdensome duty or charge; as, a heavy tax on time or health. 4. Charge; censure. [Obs.] --Clarendon. 5. A lesson to be learned; a task. [Obs.] --Johnson. Tax cart, a spring cart subject to a low tax. [Eng.] Syn: Impost; tribute; contribution; duty; toll; rate; assessment; exaction; custom; demand.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Direct Di*rect", a. [L. directus, p. p. of dirigere to direct: cf. F. direct. See Dress, and cf. Dirge.] 1. Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end; as, a direct line; direct means. What is direct to, what slides by, the question. --Locke. 2. Straightforward; not of crooked ways, or swerving from truth and openness; sincere; outspoken. Be even and direct with me. --Shak. 3. Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous. He nowhere, that I know, says it in direct words. --Locke. A direct and avowed interference with elections. --Hallam. 4. In the line of descent; not collateral; as, a descendant in the direct line. 5. (Astron.) In the direction of the general planetary motion, or from west to east; in the order of the signs; not retrograde; -- said of the motion of a celestial body. Direct action. (Mach.) See Direct-acting. Direct discourse (Gram.), the language of any one quoted without change in its form; as, he said ``I can not come;'' -- correlative to indirect discourse, in which there is change of form; as, he said that he could not come. They are often called respectively by their Latin names, oratio directa, and oratio obliqua. Direct evidence (Law), evidence which is positive or not inferential; -- opposed to circumstantial, or indirect, evidence. -- This distinction, however, is merely formal, since there is no direct evidence that is not circumstantial, or dependent on circumstances for its credibility. --Wharton. Direct examination (Law), the first examination of a witness in the orderly course, upon the merits. --Abbott. Direct fire (Mil.), fire, the direction of which is perpendicular to the line of troops or to the parapet aimed at. Direct process (Metal.), one which yields metal in working condition by a single process from the ore. --Knight. Direct tax, a tax assessed directly on lands, etc., and polls, distinguished from taxes on merchandise, or customs, and from excise.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Direct Di*rect", v. i. To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide. Wisdom is profitable to direct. --Eccl. x. 10.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Direct Di*rect", n. (Mus.) A character, thus [?], placed at the end of a staff on the line or space of the first note of the next staff, to apprise the performer of its situation. --Moore (Encyc. of Music).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Direct Di*rect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Directed; p. pr. & vb. n. Directing.] 1. To arrange in a direct or straight line, as against a mark, or towards a goal; to point; to aim; as, to direct an arrow or a piece of ordnance. 2. To point out or show to (any one), as the direct or right course or way; to guide, as by pointing out the way; as, he directed me to the left-hand road. The Lord direct your into the love of God. --2 Thess. iii. 5. The next points to which I will direct your attention. --Lubbock. 3. To determine the direction or course of; to cause to go on in a particular manner; to order in the way to a certain end; to regulate; to govern; as, to direct the affairs of a nation or the movements of an army. I will direct their work in truth. --Is. lxi. 8. 4. To point out to with authority; to instruct as a superior; to order; as, he directed them to go. I 'll first direct my men what they shall do. --Shak. 5. To put a direction or address upon; to mark with the name and residence of the person to whom anything is sent; to superscribe; as, to direct a letter. Syn: To guide; lead; conduct; dispose; manage; regulate; order; instruct; command.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(directs, directing, directed) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Direct means moving towards a place or object, without changing direction and without stopping, for example in a journey. They'd come on a direct flight from Athens. ? indirect ADJ: usu ADJ n • Direct is also an adverb. You can fly direct to Amsterdam from most British airports. ADV: ADV after v • directly The jumbo jet is due to fly the hostages directly back to London. ADV: ADV after v 2. If something is in direct heat or light, it is strongly affected by the heat or light, because there is nothing between it and the source of heat or light to protect it. Medicines should be stored away from direct sunlight... ADJ: ADJ n 3. You use direct to describe an experience, activity, or system which only involves the people, actions, or things that are necessary to make it happen. He has direct experience of the process of privatisation... He seemed to be in direct contact with the Boss... ADJ: usu ADJ n • Direct is also an adverb. I can deal direct with your Inspector Kimble... ADV: ADV after v • directly We cannot measure pain directly. It can only be estimated... ADV: ADV with v 4. You use direct to emphasize the closeness of a connection between two things. They were unable to prove that she died as a direct result of his injection... ? indirect ADJ: usu ADJ n [emphasis] 5. If you describe a person or their behaviour as direct, you mean that they are honest and open, and say exactly what they mean. He avoided giving a direct answer... ? indirect ADJ • directly At your first meeting, explain simply and directly what you hope to achieve... ADV: ADV after v • directness Using 'I' adds directness to a piece of writing... N-UNCOUNT 6. If you direct something at a particular thing, you aim or point it at that thing. I directed the extinguisher at the fire without effect... = aim VERB: V n at/towards/on n 7. If your attention, emotions, or actions are directed at a particular person or thing, you are focusing them on that person or thing. The learner's attention needs to be directed to the significant features... Do not be surprised if, initially, she directs her anger at you... = focus VERB: be V-ed to/towards n/-ing, V n at n 8. If a remark or look is directed at you, someone says something to you or looks at you. She could hardly believe the question was directed towards her... The abuse was directed at the TV crews... Arnold directed a meaningful look at Irma. VERB: be V-ed towards n, be V-ed at n, V n at n 9. If you direct someone somewhere, you tell them how to get there. Could you direct them to Dr Lamont's office, please?... VERB: V n to n 10. When someone directs a project or a group of people, they are responsible for organizing the people and activities that are involved. Christopher will direct day-to-day operations. VERB: V n • direction Organizations need clear direction... N-UNCOUNT 11. When someone directs a film, play, or television programme, they are responsible for the way in which it is performed and for telling the actors and assistants what to do. He directed various TV shows... ...Miss Birkin's long-held ambition to direct as well as act. VERB: V n, V 12. If you are directed to do something, someone in authority tells you to do it. (FORMAL) They have been directed to give special attention to the problem of poverty... The Bishop directed the faithful to stay at home. VERB: be V-ed to-inf, V n to-inf 13. If you are a direct descendant of someone, you are related to them through your parents and your grandparents and so on. She is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria. ADJ: ADJ n 14. see also direction, directly

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Straight, in a right line, not crooked. 2. From father to son. 3. Plain, express, categorical, unambiguous, not equivocal. 4. Open, sincere, ingenuous, frank, out-spoken. 5. (A stron.) In the order of the signs, advancing eastward. II. v. a. 1. Aim, point, cast, turn. 2. Regulate, dispose, manage, conduct, control, govern, rule, guide. 3. Order, command, instruct, prescribe to, give directions to. 4. Show, point, guide, lead, put upon the right track. 5. Address, superscribe.

Moby Thesaurus

Attic, Ciceronian, Spartan, address, address to, administer, administrate, advise, advocate, aim, aim at, allude to, apply, appoint, arrowlike, articulated, artless, ascetic, assign, austere, bald, bare, be master, be responsible for, beam, bend, bid, bluff, blunt, born yesterday, brief, bring to attention, bring to notice, broad, broaden the mind, brusque, buckle down, call attention to, call on, call the shots, call the signals, call upon, candid, captain, carry on, carry out, carry through, cast, catechize, categorical, catenated, ceaseless, chair, charge, chart a course, chaste, childlike, cite, civilize, classic, clean-cut, clear, clear as crystal, clear as day, clear-cut, close, coach, coherent, command, commission, common, commonplace, concatenated, cond, conduct, conduct to, confer, confiding, conn, connected, consistent, constant, consult with, contiguous, continual, continued, continuing, continuous, control, counsel, coxswain, crisp, crystal-clear, crystalline, cyclical, dead, dead ahead, dead straight, deal with, decide, declare, decree, define, defined, definite, delicate, demonstrate, determine, devote, dictate, diphyletic, direct attention to, direct to, directionize, directly, discipline, dispose, distinct, divert, dominate, downright, drive, dry, due, due north, dull, easy, edify, educate, elegant, endless, engineer, enjoin, enlighten, escort, even, exact, explicit, express, faithful, family, fasten, featureless, fine, finished, firsthand, fix, fix on, flat, focus, focus on, forthright, frank, frankhearted, free, free-speaking, free-spoken, free-tongued, gapless, genealogical, genuine, give, give an order, give instruction, give lessons in, give the word, govern, graceful, gracile, ground, guide, guileless, handle, have the conn, head, head up, heart-to-heart, helm, hold on, homely, homespun, honest, horizontal, illumine, immediate, in a beeline, in a line, in line with, inartificial, incessant, incline, inerrable, inerrant, infallible, inform, ingenu, ingenuous, innocent, instruct, interminable, irreversible, issue a command, issue a writ, joined, jointless, keep, kibitz, lay, lead, lead on, lead to, lean, level, level at, limpid, lineal, linear, linked, literally, literatim, loud and clear, lucid, luminous, mail, make go, make the rules, manage, mandate, maneuver, manipulate, mastermind, mathematical, matter-of-fact, meddle, mention, microscopic, monotonous, naive, native, natural, navigate, neat, never-ending, next, nice, nonstop, officer, one-way, open, open the eyes, openhearted, operate, ordain, order, order about, outright, outspoken, pellucid, perennial, perform on, periodic, perspicuous, phyletic, phylogenetic, pick out, pilot, pinpoint, plain, plain-speaking, plain-spoken, play, point, point at, point out, point out to, point the way, point to, point-blank, polished, post, practice, precise, prescribe, present, preside over, primary, proclaim, promulgate, pronounce, propose, prosaic, prosing, prosy, proximate, pull the strings, pure, put right, quarterback, recommend, rectilineal, rectilinear, recurrent, reeducate, refer to, refined, regulate, religious, religiously exact, repetitive, require, restrained, right, rigid, rigorous, round, round-the-clock, route, rule, ruler-straight, run, running, rustic, say the word, school, scientific, scientifically exact, seamless, see, see to, send, serried, set, set right, set straight, settle, severe, shape a course, sharpen the wits, shepherd, shortest, show, show how, show the way, sight on, simple, simple-speaking, simplehearted, simpleminded, sincere, single-hearted, single-minded, skipper, smooth, sober, spare, specify, square, stable, stand over, stark, steady, steer, straight, straight across, straight ahead, straight-cut, straight-front, straight-out, straight-side, straightaway, straightforward, straightforwards, straightly, straightway, streamlined, strict, submit, subtle, suggest, superintend, superscribe, supervise, tactless, take care of, take command, take the lead, tasteful, teach, teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, tell, terse, through, throw, to the point, touch on, train, train upon, translucent, transparent, transpicuous, trim, true, trustful, trusting, turn, turn upon, twenty-four-hour, unadorned, unaffected, unambiguous, unartificial, unassuming, unbending, unbent, unbowed, unbroken, unceasing, unchecked, unconcealed, unconfused, unconstrained, uncurved, undeflected, undeviating, undeviatingly, undifferentiated, undiplomatic, undisguised, undissembled, undistorted, unending, unequivocal, unerring, unfeigning, unguarded, unidirectional, uniform, unimaginative, uninhibited, unintermitted, unintermittent, unintermitting, uninterrupted, univocal, unlabored, unmistakable, unmitigated, unobstructed, unpoetical, unpretending, unpretentious, unqualified, unrelieved, unremitting, unreserved, unrestrained, unsophisticated, unstopped, unsuspicious, unswerving, unswervingly, unturned, unvarnished, unveeringly, unwary, upright, usher, vertical, warn, wear the pants, well-defined, wield authority, wield the baton, word for word, work