<B>direct discourse,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a quoting of what a person says in his exact words. (Example:) He said, "Let's go now." </DL>
<A NAME="directdistancedialing">
<B>Direct Distance Dialing,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> telephone dialing from one region to another by using an area code. (Abbr:) DDD (no periods). </DL>
<A NAME="directdrive">
<B>direct drive,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a drive in which the driving and driven parts are mounted on a common shaft. <BR> <I>Ex. Direct drive provides top efficiency at cruising speeds (Newsweek).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directdye">
<B>direct dye,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dye that does not require fixing with a mordant. It is used chiefly on cellulose fibers. </DL>
<A NAME="directed">
<B>directed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>guided; organized; supervised. <BR> <I>Ex. directed sports activities.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>aiming at some practical objective; applied. <BR> <I>Ex. directed research.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Mathematics.) <DD><B> a. </B>having a positive or negative direction. <BR> <I>Ex. a directed line segment.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>preceded by a plus or a minus sign. <BR> <I>Ex. a directed number.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directedenergyweapon">
<B>directed-energy weapon,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a weapon that fires particle beams or laser beams, especially against nuclear missiles; beam weapon. <BR> <I>Ex. There are a couple of hundred ... blue-eyed boys in Los Alamos, New Mexico, working on hunter-killer satellites and directed-energy weapons like satellite-launched high-energy lasers (Rolling Stone).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directedness">
<B>directedness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being directed or under guidance. </DL>
<A NAME="directedverdict">
<B>directed verdict,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a verdict specifically demanded of the jury by the court. <BR> <I>Ex. When the facts are so clearly in favor of one party that the jury could not reasonably decide any other way, the judge may direct the jury to return a directed verdict (Arthur E. Sutherland).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directee">
<B>directee, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who is directed or is under direction. </DL>
<A NAME="directer">
<B>directer, </B>noun. =director.</DL>
<A NAME="directevidence">
<B>direct evidence,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the evidence of a witness who testifies that a fact to be proved is true of his own knowledge. </DL>
<A NAME="directexamination">
<B>direct examination,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the first examination of a witness by the party who has called him to testify. </DL>
<A NAME="directgrantschool">
<B>direct grant school,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in Great Britain) a private school that receives a grant directly from the Ministry of Education. </DL>
<A NAME="direction">
<B>direction, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>guidance; managing; control. <BR> <I>Ex. the direction of a play or motion picture. The school is under the direction of a good teacher.</I> (SYN) management. <DD><B> 2. </B>an order; command. <BR> <I>Ex. It was his direction that I prepare a report.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>Also, <B>directions.</B> a knowing or telling what to do, how to do, where to go, or other instruction. <BR> <I>Ex. He needs directions to the lake. Can you give me directions for driving to Chicago?</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>the address on a letter or package. <DD><B> 5. </B>the course taken by a moving body, such as a ball or a bullet. <DD><B> 6. </B>any way in which one may face or point. North, south, east, and west are directions. <BR> <I>Ex. Our school is in one direction and the post office is in another.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Figurative.) a course along which something moves; way of moving; tendency. <BR> <I>Ex. This town shows improvement in many directions.</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>(Music.) a word, phrase, or sign for the tempo or style in which a score or part of a score should be played. <DD><B> 9. </B>a body of directors; directorate. <BR> <I>Ex. I will ask some of the direction (Thackeray).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directional">
<B>directional, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with direction in space. <BR> <I>Ex. If the main weight is behind the centre of the car directional control is not so good (London News Chronicle).</I> <DD><B> 2a. </B>(Radio.) fitted for determining the direction from which signals come, or for sending signals in a particular direction. <DD><B> b. </B>receiving signals from a particular direction; that can be turned in a particular direction. <BR> <I>Ex. a directional antenna, a directional reflector.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>indicating direction. <BR> <I>Ex. Hand-signaling remains an important safety factor for drivers although most cars are equipped with flashing directional indicators (New York Times).</I> adv. <B>directionally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="directionality">
<B>directionality, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the condition of having direction. <DD><B> 2. </B>the degree or extent to which anything has direction. </DL>
<A NAME="directionalwireless">
<B>directional wireless,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>wireless employed to discover position through the direction of messages received or intercepted, as by the navigator of an aircraft or of a ship at sea. <DD><B> 2. </B>wireless in which the waves are sent out in only one direction, as from one station to another. </DL>
<A NAME="directionfinder">
<B>direction finder,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a device for finding the direction of incoming radio waves. It is usually a loop aerial which rotates freely on a vertical axis. </DL>
<A NAME="directionindicator">
<B>direction indicator,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a device used in navigating an aircraft, consisting of a needle set for the desired course and a compass which shows the actual course. </DL>
<A NAME="directionless">
<B>directionless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having no direction. <BR> <I>Ex. He writes with the meandering, seemingly directionless flow of much of life itself (Newsweek).</I> adv. <B>directionlessly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="directive">
<B>directive, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> an order or instruction telling what to do, how to do, or where to go. <BR> <I>Ex. The captain gave a directive to his lieutenants. This advisory ... had the force of a directive because of the willing, not to say anxious, compliance of newspaper editors and publishers (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists).</I> <DD><I>adj. </I> directing; serving to direct. adv. <B>directively.</B> noun <B>directiveness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="directivity">
<B>directivity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> directional condition or quality; directionality. <BR> <I>Ex. The real advantage ... of such an antenna in long-distance reception is its directivity (L. F. B. Carini).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directlabor">
<B>direct labor,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Accounting.) the cost of labor expended directly upon production, exclusive of maintenance, clerical costs, and other overhead charges. </DL>
<A NAME="directliability">
<B>direct liability,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a definite obligation, such as a loan or a purchase of goods or services on credit, which can be paid as specified, as distinguished from a contingent liability. </DL>
<A NAME="directly">
<B>directly, </B>adverb, conjunction.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adv. </I> <B>1. </B>in a direct line or manner; straight. <BR> <I>Ex. This road runs directly into the center of town.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) straightforwardly; frankly; plainly; truthfully. <DD><B> 3. </B>exactly; absolutely. <BR> <I>Ex. directly opposite.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>immediately; at once. <BR> <I>Ex. Come home directly. I shall be with you directly.</I> <DD><I>conj. </I> (Especially British.) as soon as. <BR> <I>Ex. I left directly he called.</I> <DD> See also <B>immediately.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="directmail">
<B>direct mail,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>mail sent by business firms, nonprofit organizations, or other groups, directly to potential customers or contributors, advertising something or requesting their patronage, membership, help, or the like. <DD><B> 2. </B>this method or form of advertising. <BR> <I>Ex. Direct mail costs more to reach the customer than other forms of advertising (Marion Harper, Jr.).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directmaterial">
<B>direct material,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the raw material of a manufactured product whose cost can be identified and measured. </DL>
<A NAME="directobject">
<B>direct object,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Grammar.) a word or words showing the person or thing undergoing the action expressed by the verb. In "The boat struck a rock," <I>rock</I> is the direct object of the verb <I>struck.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="directoire">
<B>Directoire, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> the Directory. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or in the style of the period of the French Directory; extravagant; ornate. <BR> <I>Ex. Some of her daytime dresses are "Directoire," with gathered skirts falling loosely from high-belted bodices (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="director">
<B>director, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a manager; person who directs; leader. A person who plans and directs the performance of a play, a motion picture, or a show on television or radio is called a director. <DD><B> 2. </B>one of a group of persons chosen to direct the affairs of a company or institution. <BR> <I>Ex. The owners of a company elect the directors. Company directors have certain functions which really come down to giving advice out of their experience in the business world generally (Newsweek).</I> <DD> (Abbr:) dir. <DD><B> 3. </B>a gunsight that coordinates the firing of a number of guns. Also, <B>directer.</B> </DL>
