Direct — Defs

01 a. Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by the short or shortest way to a point or end; as, a direct line; direct means.

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.
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.(Astron.)
6.
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.(Political Science)
7.
See Syndicalism, below.(Mach.) See: Syndicalism

Phrases & compounds

Direct action — See Direct-acting.

Direct discourse — 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 — evidence which is positive or not inferential; -- opposed to circumstantial evidence, 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.

Direct examination — the first examination of a witness in the orderly course, upon the merits.

Direct fire — fire, the direction of which is perpendicular to the line of troops or to the parapet aimed at.

Direct process — one which yields metal in working condition by a single process from the ore.

Direct tax — a tax assessed directly on lands, etc., and polls, distinguished from taxes on merchandise, or customs, and from excise.

02 v. t. 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.

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.

03 v. i. To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide.

1.
To give direction; to point out a course; to act as guide.
“Wisdom is profitable to direct.” — Eccl. x. 10.

04 n. 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 i…

1.
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.(Mus.)