dirt

American  

[durt] / dɜrt /

noun

1. any foul or filthy substance, as mud, grime, dust, or excrement.

2. earth or soil, especially when loose.

3. something or someone vile, mean, or worthless.

   After that last outburst of hers I thought she was dirt.

4. moral filth; vileness; corruption.

5. obscene or lewd language.

   to talk dirt.

6. Informal. gossip, especially of a malicious, lurid, or scandalous nature.

   Tell me all the latest dirt.

   Synonyms:

   scuttlebutt, rumor, slander, scandal

7. private or personal information which if made public would create a scandal or ruin the reputation of a person, company, etc.

8. Mining.

   1. crude, broken ore or waste.

   2. (in placer mining) the material from which gold is separated by washing.

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idioms

1. eat dirt, to accept blame, guilt, criticism, or insults without complaint; humble or abase oneself.

   The prosecutor seemed determined to make the defendant eat dirt.

2. do (someone) dirt. dirty.

dirt British  

/ dɜːt /

noun

1. any unclean substance, such as mud, dust, excrement, etc; filth

2. loose earth; soil

3. 1. packed earth, gravel, cinders, etc, used to make a racetrack

   2. ( as modifier )

      a dirt track

4. mining the gravel or soil from which minerals are extracted

5. a person or thing regarded as worthless

6. obscene or indecent speech or writing

7. slang gossip; scandalous information

8. moral corruption

9. slang to do something vicious to someone

10. informal to spread malicious gossip

11. slang to accept insult without complaining

12. to have no respect or consideration for someone

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dirt More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dirt

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

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Etymology

Origin of dirt

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

Example Sentences

We stood atop a dirt patch next to a crumbling curb.

From Los Angeles Times

If you want to hear about the dirt and the lore and the legends, all of it is here, and it’s all pretty unvarnished.

From Salon

The 'terrao' - essentially a dirt pitch - where he grew up completed his football education.

From BBC

Norton said he has used the truck to navigate dirt roads covered in 6 inches of snow.

From The Wall Street Journal

Murdoch uses a harvesting rig for leeks, but this year, because rain has forced dirt between the leaves, they are being gathered by hand into which affects his planning and costs.

From BBC

Related Words

• excrement
• ground
• muck
• mud
• soil
• stain