direct
Definitions
General English
- adjective straight, without any changes of direction or stops
- verb to aim something towards a point
- verb to say something to a particular person
- verb to tell someone how to get to a place
- verb to tell someone to do something
General Science
- adjective straight or with no processing or going in a straight way
- noun a binary code which directly operates the central processing unit, using only absolute addresses and values
Aviation
- adjective in a straight line; by the shortest route
- verb to guide or control the movement of something
Banking
- adverb with no third party involved
- verb to manage or organise something
Law
- verb to give an order to someone
Military
- verb to control or guide the actions of subordinates or supporting arms
- verb to tell someone the way to a destination
Travel
- adjective going straight from one place to another
- verb to tell or show someone how to go to a place
Wine
- used to describe a wine that has no hidden flavours and is defined immediately by its first taste
Origin & History of “direct”
English acquired direct from dīrectus, the past participle of Latin dīrigere ‘arrange in distinct lines’, hence ‘straighten, guide’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and regere ‘guide, rule’ (source of English regent, region, etc). The first recorded use of the verb in English was ‘write something and send it to a particular person’, a sense now preserved more specifically in the related address. (also ultimately from Latin dīrigere is dirigible ‘steerable airship’ (19th c.), a borrowing from French dirigeable; this was a derivative of diriger, the French descendant of dīrigere.).
