Lewis & Short

dīrectus, a, um, Part. and P. a., from dirigo.

dī-rĭgo or dērĭgo (the latter form preferred by Roby, L. G. 2, p. 387; cf. Rib. Proleg. ad Verg. p. 401 sq.; so Liv. 21, 19, 1; 21, 47, 8; 22, 28 Weissenb.; id. 22, 47, 2 Drak.; Lach. ad Lucr. 4, 609; Tac. A. 6, 40 Ritter; acc. to Brambach, s. v., the two forms are different words, de-rigo meaning to give a particular direction to; di-rigo, to arrange in distinct lines, set or move different ways; cf. describo and discribo. But the distinction is not observed in the MSS. and edd. generally), rexi, rectum, 3 (perf. sync. direxti, Verg. A. 6, 57), v. a. [dis-rego], to lay straight, set in a straight line, to arrange, draw up (class.; cf.: guberno, collineo, teneo).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: coronam si diviseris, arcus erit: si direxeris, virga, Sen. Q. N. 1, 10: haec directa materia injecta consternebantur, Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 8: crates, id. B. C. 3, 46, 5: naves ante portum, Liv. 37, 31; cf.: naves in pugnam, id. 22, 19: vicos, i. e. to build regularly, id. 5, 55; cf. castella, Flor. 4, 12, 26: molem recta fronte, Curt. 4, 3 et saep.: regiones lituo, i. e. to lay out, bound, Cic. Div. 1, 17; cf.: finem alicui veterem viam regiam, Liv. 39, 27.
      Esp. freq.: aciem, to draw up the troops in battle array, Caes. B. G. 6, 8, 5; Liv. 21, 47 fin.; 34, 28; Front. Strat. 1, 12, 3; 2, 1, 4 et saep.; cf. frontem, Quint. 2, 13, 3; 5, 13, 11: membrana plumbo derecta, ruled with a lead-pencil, Cat. 22, 7.
        1. * b. Perh. i. q., to split, cleave in twain: elephantum machaeră dirigit, Plaut. Curc. 3, 54 (dub.); cf.: dirigere apud Plautum invenitur pro discidere, Paul. ex Fest. p. 69, 15 Müll.
    2. B. In partic., with respect to the terminus, to send in a straight line, to direct to a place (so most freq.): ex vestigio vela ad castra Corneliana, Caes. B. C. 2, 25, 6: aciem ad te, Cat. 63, 56: cursum ad litora, Caes. B. C. 3, 25, 4: iter ad Mutinam, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 112 et saep.
      Afterwards more freq. with in: equum in consulem, Liv. 2, 6: currum in hostem, Ov. M. 12, 78: tela manusque in corpus Aeacidae, Verg. A. 6, 57; Front. Strat. 3, 3, 4: hastam in te, Ov. M. 8, 66; cf.: dentes in inguina, id. ib. 8, 400: cursum in Africam, Vell. 2, 19 fin.: cursum per auras in lucos, Verg. A. 6, 195 et saep.: navem eo, Nep. Chabr. 4, 2: gressum huc, Verg. A. 5, 162; 11, 855 et saep.; and poet. with the dat.: Ilo hastam, Verg. A. 10, 401 et saep.
      Without designating the limit: ab iisdem (Etesiis) maritimi cursus (i. e. navium) celeres et certi diriguntur, to be directed, steered, Cic. N. D. 2, 53: iter navis, Ov. F. 1, 4: cursum, Front. Strat. 3, 13, 6; esp. freq. of weapons, to aim, direct: spicula, Verg. A. 7, 497; Ov. M. 12, 606: hastile, Verg. A. 12, 490: tela, Hor. C. 4, 9, 18: sagittas, Suet. Dom. 19 et saep.
      Poet.: vulnera, Verg. A. 10, 140; Sil. 2, 92 Drak.; Tac. H. 2, 35; cf.: vulnera alicui, Sen. Herc. Oet. 160.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to set in order, arrange (very rare): materias divisione dirigere, Quint. 2, 6, 1.
      Far more freq. (esp. in Cic. and Quint.),
    2. B. In partic.: aliquid ad or in aliquid; also: aliqua re, to direct, guide, arrange a thing either to something (as its aim, scope) or according to something (as its rule or pattern).
          1. (α) With ad: meas cogitationes sic dirigo, non ad illam parvulam Cynosuram sed, etc., Ac. 2, 20, 66; cf.: orationem ad exempla, id. Rep. 2, 31 fin.; Quint. 10, 2, 1: judicium ad ea, id. 6, 5, 2: se ad id quod, etc., id. 12, 3, 8; cf.: se ad ea effingenda, id. 10, 1, 127: praecipua rerum ad famam, Tac. A. 4, 40 et saep.
            In a different sense (viz., with ad equiv. to secundum, v. ad): in verbis et eligendis et collocandis nihil non ad rationem, Cic. Brut. 37, 140: vitam ad certam rationis normam, to conform, id. Mur. 2: leges hominum ad naturam, id. Leg. 2, 5 fin.; id. Or. 2 fin. et saep.
          2. (β) With in (not so in Cic.): tota mente (intentionem) in opus ipsum, Quint. 10, 3, 28: communes locos in vitia, id. 2, 1, 11; Front. Strat. 3, 2, 2 et saep.
          3. (γ) With abl. (only in Cic.): quos (fines) utilitate aut voluptate dirigunt, Cic. Fin. 5, 20 fin.: omnia voluptate, id. ib. 2, 22, 71: utilitatem honestate, id. Off. 3, 21, 83: haec normā, id. de Or. 3, 49, 190.
          4. (δ) Without an object: (divinatio) ad veritatem saepissime dirigit, Cic. Div. 1, 14 fin.
            (ε) With acc. only: epistolam (sc. ad aliquem), to write, Capit. Clod. Alb. 2.
            (ζ) With adversus, Quint. 5, 7, 6.
            Hence, dīrectus (dērectus), a, um, P. a., made straight, straight, direct, whether horizontally or perpendicularly; straight, level; upright, steep.
    1. A. Lit.: auditus flexuosum iter habet, ne quid intrare possit, si simplex et directum pateret, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 144; cf. aes (tubae), opp. flexum, Ov. M. 1, 98: iter, Caes. B. C. 3, 79, 2: latera, id. B. G. 7, 72, 1; cf. trabes, id. ib. 7, 23, 1: ordo (olearum), Cic. Caecin. 8, 22: arcus (opp. obliquus), Ov. M. 2, 129: paries, i. e. that cuts another at right angles, Cic. Top. 4: ut directiores ictus flant, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 1, 2: praeruptus locus utraque ex parte directus, Caes. B. C. 1, 45, 4; cf. id. ib. 2, 24, 3: (Henna) ab omni aditu circumcisa atque directa, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48 Zumpt N. cr.: cornu, Caes. B. G. 6, 26.
      Subst.: dī-rectum, i, n., a straight line: in directo pedum VIII. esse, in anfracto XVI., in a straight line, Varr. L. L. 7, § 15 Müll.; so, altitudo (montis) per directum IV. M. pass., Plin. 5, 22, 18, § 80; cf. id. 3, 5, 9, § 66 al.: cadere in directum moderate (with exire per devexum), Sen. Q. N. 6, 20; Vulg. Ezech. 47, 20 al.
    2. B. Trop., straightforward, unceremonious, open, simple, direct: o praeclaram beate vivendi et apertam et simplicem et directam viam, Cic. Fin. 1, 18; cf.: iter ad laudem, id. Cael. 17, 41: vera illa et directa ratio, id. ib. 18: tristis ac directus senex, id. ib. 16, 38; cf.: quid est in judicio? Directum, asperum, simplex, SI PARET HS ICCC DARI, id. Rosc. Com. 4, 11: percunctatio et denuntiatio belli, Liv. 21, 19; cf. contiones, Just. 38, 3 fin. (v. obliquus): verba, Cod. Just. 6, 23, 15: actio, Dig. 3, 5, 46; 9, 4, 26 et saep.; cf. institutio (opp. precaria), id. 29, 1, 19: libertates (opp. fideicommissariae), id. 29, 4, 12.
      Adv.
        1. a. dīrectē, directly, straight (very rare): dicere, Cic. Part. Or. 7, 24: ire, Vulg. Sap. 5, 22.
          Far more freq.,
        2. b. dīrectō, directly, straight: deorsum ferri, Cic. N. D. 1, 25: transversas trabes, Caes. B. C. 2, 9, 2: ad fidem spectare, Cic. Part. Or. 13, 46; so id. Div. 2, 61 fin. (opp. anfractus and circuitio); Liv. 1, 11 fin.; Sen. Ep. 66; Dig. 9, 4, 26 al.
        3. * c. dīrectā: quo magis ursimus alte directā, press deep down perpendicularly, Lucr. 2, 198.
        4. d. dīrectim, straightway, directly (post-class.), App. Dogm. Plat. 3, p. 34; Macr. S. 7, 12 fin.
          Comp.:           directius gubernare, Cic. Ac. 2, 20, 66.
          Sup. seems not to occur either in the adj. or in the adv.