dirt

[durt]

See more synonyms for dirt on Thesaurus.com

noun

any foul or filthy substance, as mud, grime, dust, or excrement.
earth or soil, especially when loose.
something or someone vile, mean, or worthless: After that last outburst of hers I thought she was dirt.

moral filth; vileness; corruption.
obscene or lewd language: to talk dirt.
Informal. gossip, especially of a malicious, lurid, or scandalous nature: Tell me all the latest dirt.
private or personal information which if made public would create a scandal or ruin the reputation of a person, company, etc.
Mining.
1. crude, broken ore or waste.
2. (in placer mining) the material from which gold is separated by washing.

Idioms

do (someone) dirt. dirty(def 18).
eat dirt, Informal. to accept blame, guilt, criticism, or insults without complaint; humble or abase oneself: The prosecutor seemed determined to make the defendant eat dirt.

Origin of dirt

1250–1300; Middle English dirt, drit; cognate with Old Norse drit excrement; compare Old English drītan

Synonyms

See more synonyms for dirt on Thesaurus.com

6. scandal, slander, rumor, scuttlebutt.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for dirt

Contemporary Examples

Turns out that wool regulates temperature, repels water, wicks away moisture, and resists stains and dirt.
The Coolest Fashion Innovations of 2014
Raquel Laneri
December 18, 2014
They slapped and punched him, and when he fell, dragged him through the dirt.
Inside the CIA’s Sadistic Dungeon
Tim Mak
December 9, 2014
In one case a detainee was dragged naked along the dirt floor.
Inside the CIA’s Sadistic Dungeon
Tim Mak
December 9, 2014
And Madusa had spent time on motorcycles, dirt bikes and four wheelers, among other rides.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture
Eliza Krigman
November 22, 2014
But how is it they never lose that hunger to turn over the next shovel of dirt?
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark
Alex Belth
November 14, 2014

Historical Examples

They were putting on outer clothes from the store-room to protect them from the dirt and damp.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Dick, vaguely conscious of damp and dirt, went up to his bedroom.
Viviette
William J. Locke
But ye kin ride, b'y; so dirt don't count; clean ridin's the thing.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
We worked in gangs of six, digging and passing up the dirt into the night-tubs.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
In some places there are high mounds of dirt outside the city wall.
Buried Cities: Pompeii, Olympia, Mycenae
Jennie Hall

British Dictionary definitions for dirt

dirt

noun

any unclean substance, such as mud, dust, excrement, etc; filth
loose earth; soil
1. packed earth, gravel, cinders, etc, used to make a racetrack
2. (as modifier)a dirt track
mining the gravel or soil from which minerals are extracted
a person or thing regarded as worthless
obscene or indecent speech or writing
slang gossip; scandalous information
moral corruption
do someone dirt slang to do something vicious to someone
dish the dirt informal to spread malicious gossip
eat dirt slang to accept insult without complaining
treat someone like dirt to have no respect or consideration for someone

Word Origin

C13: from Old Norse drit excrement; related to Middle Dutch drēte

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dirt

n.

15c. metathesis of Middle English drit, drytt "mud, dirt, dung" (c.1300), from Old Norse drit, cognate with Old English dritan "to void excrement," from Proto-Germanic *dritanan (cf. Dutch drijten, Old High German trizan).

Used abusively of persons from c.1300. Meaning "gossip" first attested 1926 (in Hemingway); dirt bike is 1960s. Dirt-cheap is from 1821. Dirt road attested by 1852.

Idioms and Phrases with dirt

dirt

In addition to the idiom beginning with dirt

dirt cheap
dirty joke
dirty look, give a
dirty one's hands
dirty tricks
dirty work

also see:

dig up (dirt)
dish the dirt
eat crow (dirt)
hit the deck (dirt)
pay dirt
treat like dirt

Also see underdirty.

dirt

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Synonyms

Examples from the Web for dirt

Contemporary Examples

Turns out that wool regulates temperature, repels water, wicks away moisture, and resists stains and dirt.

They slapped and punched him, and when he fell, dragged him through the dirt.

In one case a detainee was dragged naked along the dirt floor.

And Madusa had spent time on motorcycles, dirt bikes and four wheelers, among other rides.

But how is it they never lose that hunger to turn over the next shovel of dirt?

Historical Examples

They were putting on outer clothes from the store-room to protect them from the dirt and damp.

Dick, vaguely conscious of damp and dirt, went up to his bedroom.

But ye kin ride, b'y; so dirt don't count; clean ridin's the thing.

We worked in gangs of six, digging and passing up the dirt into the night-tubs.

In some places there are high mounds of dirt outside the city wall.

dirt

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for dirt

n.

Idioms and Phrases with dirt

dirt

Origin of dirt