“direct” – English explanatory dictionary

adj 1. straight, without any bends or stops ○ What’s the most direct way of getting to London? □ direct line a telephone line which takes you straight to the person you wish to contact ○ This phone number will give you a direct line to the minister. □ direct flight a flight without any stops ○ There are direct flights every day to London. □ direct hit a hit right on the target ○ We scored a direct hit on the enemy’s headquarters. 2. not involving another person or organisation 3. not trying to hide the meaning ○ I want a direct answer to a direct question. ■ verb 1. to manage or to organise something ○ He directs our London operations. ○ The policeman was directing the traffic. 2. to aim towards a point ○ He directed his remarks to the manager. 3. to tell someone how to get to a place ○ Can you direct me to the nearest post office? 4. to tell someone to do something ○ The insecticide has to be used as directed on the bottle. ○ He did as he had been directed, and took the plane to Birmingham. ■ adv 1. straight, without stopping ○ The plane flies direct to Anchorage. 2. without passing through an operator ○ You can telephone New York direct from here. 3. not involving other people ○ They sell insurance direct to the public.

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.

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.

v. i. To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide. “Wisdom is profitable to direct.” Eccl. x. 10.

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).