Synonyms Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for dirt on Thesaurus.com 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 crude, broken ore or waste. (in placer mining) the material from which gold is separated by washing. Show More
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. Show More
Origin of dirt 1250–1300; Middle English dirt, drit; cognate with Old Norse drit excrement; compare Old English drītan
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for dirt excrement ,
soil ,
muck ,
mud ,
stain ,
ground ,
dust ,
earth ,
clay ,
filth ,
tarnish ,
mire ,
smut ,
crud ,
slime ,
smudge ,
dregs ,
filthiness ,
gook ,
feculence Examples from the Web for dirt Contemporary Examples of dirt 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 of dirt 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.
British Dictionary definitions for dirt any unclean substance, such as mud, dust, excrement, etc; filth loose earth; soil packed earth, gravel, cinders, etc, used to make a racetrack (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 Show More
Word Origin for dirt 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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with 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.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
