direct (adj.)

  1. direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short; a direct route; a direct flight; a direct hit'

  2. straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action; a direct question; a direct response; a direct approach'

  3. 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 ]

  4. moving from west to east on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in the same direction as the Earth

  5. 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)'

  6. (of a current) flowing in one direction only; direct current'

    direct (adv.)

  1. without deviation; the path leads directly to the lake; went direct to the office

    [ Syn: directly , directly , straight , straight , directly , directly , straight , straight , directly , directly , straight , straight , directly , directly , straight , straight ]

    direct (adj.)

  1. lacking compromising or mitigating elements; exact; the direct opposite'

  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: unmediated ]

  3. being an immediate result or consequence; a direct result of the accident'

  4. in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker; a direct quotation; repeated their dialog verbatim

    [ Syn: verbatim ]

    direct (v.)

  1. command with authority; He directed the children to do their homework'

  2. specifically design a product, event, or activity for a certain public

    [ Syn: calculate , aim ]

  3. direct the course; determine the direction of travelling

    [ Syn: steer , maneuver , manoeuver , manoeuvre , point , head , guide , channelize , channelise ]

  4. put an address on (an envelope)

    [ Syn: address ]

  5. plan and direct (a complex undertaking); he masterminded the robbery

    [ Syn: mastermind , engineer , organize , organise , orchestrate ]

  6. intend (something) to move towards a certain goal; He aimed his fists towards his opponents face; criticism directed at her superior; direct your anger towards others, not towards yourself

    [ Syn: target , aim , place , point ]

  7. guide the actors in (plays and films)

  8. be in charge of

  9. 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 , conduct , guide ]

  10. 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 ]

  11. point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards; Please dont aim at your little brother!; He trained his gun on the burglar; Dont train your camera on the women; Take a swipe at ones opponent

    [ Syn: aim , take , train , take aim ]

  12. lead, as in the performance of a composition; conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years

    [ Syn: conduct , lead ]

  13. give directions to; point somebody into a certain direction; I directed them towards the town hall'

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.