All 13 Uses of
direct
in
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
- There were no street lights in this part of town; only the moon directed the way of a pedestrian.
Chpt 1 (definition 1)directed = guided
- She was too direct, and to keep up with her he had to pay careful attention to his language.
Chpt 2 (definition 2) *direct = straightforward (specific and to the point)
- "Your father"—she directed a thumb at Milkman—"he couldn't cook worth poot."
Chpt 2 (definition 1) *directed = pointed
- She toyed, sometimes, with her unsucked breasts, but at some point her lethargy dissipated of its own accord and in its place was wilderness, the focused meanness of a flood or an avalanche of snow which only observers, flying in a rescue helicopter, believed to be an indifferent natural phenomenon, but which the victims, in their last gulp of breath, knew was both directed and personal.
Chpt 5 (definition 1)directed = aimed
- Ruth had asked some passer-by where Pilate lived and was directed to a lean brown house set back from the unpaved road.
Chpt 5 (definition 3)directed = given directions
- At sixteen now, she took a lover from one of the island families and managed to keep direct light from ever hitting her stomach.
Chpt 5 (definition 4) *direct = unobstructed (with nothing in between)
- He lifted his head and let it rest in his hand, directing his words into his shirt sleeve.
Chpt 9 (definition 1)directing = aiming
- None of the pleasantness was directed at him because of his father, as it was back home, or his grandfather's memory, as it was in Danville.
Chpt 11 (definition 1)directed = aimed
- He was his own director—relieving himself when he wanted to, stopping for cold beer when he was thirsty, and even in a seventy-five-dollar car the sense of power was strong.
Chpt 11 (definition 5) *director = supervisor (person in charge)standard suffix: The suffix "-or" often converts a verb to a noun that means "a person who." This is the pattern you see in words like actor, editor, and visitor.
- And he was getting clumsy—stepping over big stones rather than around them, dragging his feet and catching them in humped roots, and now that Calvin was not directly in front, he had to push the branches away from his face himself.
Chpt 11 (definition 4)directly = close
- But Guitar might be— "I can't let him direct and determine what I do, where I go or when."
Chpt 12 (definition 3) *direct = command
- And it was at the shout of Jake (who was also, apparently, “the only son of Solomon”) that the twirling boy stopped. Now Milkman understood that if the child's finger pointed at nobody, missed, they started up again. But if it pointed directly to another child, that was when they fell to their knees and sang Pilate's song.
Chpt 12 (definition 4)directly = straight (in a straight line)
- Looking about at the faces of the people seated in the pews, she fastened on the first pair of eyes that were directed toward her.
Chpt 13 (definition 1)directed = pointed
Definitions:
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(1) (direct as in: directed her question to) to indicate direction; or to cause movement or focus in a direction or towards an objectThe exact meaning of this sense of direct is subject to its context. For example:
- "intentionally directed fire at unarmed civilians" -- aimed a gun
- "directed the question to her" -- aimed a question
- "directed her north" -- pointed in a particular direction
- "directed attention to the 3rd paragraph" -- focused attention on a particular object
- "The sound of her voice directed him to the kitchen." -- guided or gave directions to someone to help them move to a particular place
- "She directed him to the airport." -- gave directions to send someone to a particular place
- "She directed the boat north." -- steered it
- "directed the letter to" -- send a letter to a particular person by putting a name and address on it
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(2) (direct as in: was direct in my instructions) straightforward (uncomplicated or simple -- perhaps also indicating openness and honesty, or little concern for others' feelings)
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(3) (direct as in: directed the jury to...) give instructions or commands
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(4) (direct as in: directly above; or buy direct from) straight (exactly where stated); or without involvement of anything in betweenThe exact meaning of this sense of direct is subject to its context. For example:
- "The road runs directly to Las Vegas." -- straight (without varying from a straight line)
- "It was a direct hit." -- exact
- "The plant is in direct sunlight." -- unobstructed (without anything in between)
- "She wants a direct meeting with him." -- personal (without other people in between)
- "She paid direct attention to what he was reading." -- close
- "a direct gaze" -- straight, steady, or focused--not a brief glance taken while generally looking at other things; not a sideways look
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(5) (direct as in: directed the movie) supervise, control, or to be in charge of