All 8 Uses of
direct
in
Washington Square, by Henry James
- It was not in his manner to obtain information by indirect methods, and it never even occurred to him to question the servants.
Chpt 8 *indirect = not straightforward (complicated)standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in indirect means not and reverses the meaning of direct. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
- Mrs. Penniman was a tall, thin, fair, rather faded woman, with a perfectly amiable disposition, a high standard of gentility, a taste for light literature, and a certain foolish indirectness and obliquity of character.†
Chpt 2indirectness = the quality or degree of not being straightforwardstandard prefix: The prefix "in-" in indirectness means not and reverses the meaning of directness. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
- Dr. Sloper's interest in this phenomenon was only indirect—though, seeing that, as the years went on, half his patients came to be overworked men of business, it might have been more immediate—and when most of his neighbours' dwellings (also ornamented with granite copings and large fanlights) had been converted into offices, warehouses, and shipping agencies, and otherwise applied to the base uses of commerce, he determined to look out for a quieter home.†
Chpt 3indirect = not straightforwardstandard prefix: The prefix "in-" in indirect means not and reverses the meaning of direct. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
- For the second time in her life she made an indirect answer; and the beginning of a period of dissimulation is certainly a significant date.†
Chpt 4
- With this the two young men took their departure; after which Catherine, with her blush still lingering, directed a serious and interrogative eye to Mrs. Penniman.†
Chpt 5 *
- Instead of letting her sob out her misery on his shoulder, he simply took her by the arm and directed her course across the threshold, closing the door gently but firmly behind her.†
Chpt 18
- He told me to tell you—to tell you very distinctly, and directly from himself, that if I marry without his consent, I shall not inherit a penny of his fortune.†
Chpt 20
- It was idle to attempt to ascertain the state of her affections without direct inquiry, because, if she had not had an expressive manner among the familiar influences of home, she failed to gather animation from the mountains of Switzerland or the monuments of Italy.†
Chpt 24 *
Definitions:
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(1)
(direct as in: directly above; or buy direct) without anything in between -- whether in time, space, or involvement
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(2)
(direct as in: gave a direct answer) straightforward -- often clear, open, or blunt in speech or behavior
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(3)
(direct as in: direct a question; or direct a film) to guide, aim, or manage -- such as actions, attention, speech, a project or company
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(4)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Direct can take on many specialized meanings not included in this dictionary.As an adjective or adverb, direct usually means there is a clear or straight connection with nothing in the way. It can also mean easy to understand, without confusion. For example:- Direct action – taking quick and clear steps to make something happen
- Direct descendant – someone who comes straight from an ancestor, like a grandchild
- Direct line (in genealogy) – a family connection that goes straight from one generation to the next
- Direct deposit – money that is sent straight into a bank account
- Direct object – in a sentence, the person or thing that receives the action of the verb
- Direct kick – in sports, a kick where the ball can go straight into the goal without touching another player
- Direct cost – a cost that comes straight from making a product or providing a service
- Direct investment – putting money directly into a company or project
- Direct elections – when people vote for leaders without going through an extra step
- Direct current (DC) – a type of electric flow that moves in only one direction
As a verb, most all of the senses of direct involve giving orders or aiming.