term:

Direct

direct vt

1 : to order with authority [the testator ed that the car go to his niece]
2 : to order entry of (a verdict) without jury consideration [the court ed a verdict in favor of the defendant]
3 : to act as director of
vi
: to act as director
adj 1 a : stemming immediately from a source [ costs] [a claim] compare derivative
b : being or passing in a straight line from parent to offspring
: lineal [a ancestor] compare collateral
2 : marked by absence of any intervening agency, instrumentality, or influence [ consequences]
3 : effected by the action of the people or the electorate and not by representatives [ democracy]
4 : characterized by close logical, causal, or consequential relationship [a interest in the outcome of the litigation]
di·rect·ly adv

n : direct examination [testimony given on ]

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.