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.
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).
Di*rect" (?), v. i. To give direction; to point out
a course; to
act as guide.
Wisdom is profitable to direct.
Eccl. x. 10.
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.
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.
Hear it pronounced