An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

Any of the four principal directions or points of the compass, → north, → east, → south, and → west. See also: → cardinal point.

→ cardinal; → direction.

1a) Proceeding in a straight course or line without deviation or interruption.
1b) Math.: Varying in the same manner as another quantity, especially increasing if another quantity increases or decreasing if it decreases.
1c) Astro.: Designating west-to-east motion of a planet in the same direction as the Sun's movement against the stars.
2) To administer; manage; supervise; to serve as a director in the performance or production of.

From L. directus "straight," p.p. of dirigere "set straight," from → dis- "apart" + regere "to guide;" cognate with Pers. râst, as explained below.

Râst "right, straight" (râšt in afrâštan); Mid.Pers. râst; O.Pers. rāsta- "straight, true," rās- "to be right, straight, true," rād- "to prepare;" Av. rāz- "to direct, put in line, set," razišta- "straightest, most correct," erezu- "correct, straight," rāzayeiti "directs," razan- "order;" Skt. raj- "to direct, stretch," rjuyant- "walking straight;" Gk. orektos "stretched out;" L. regere "to lead straight, guide, rule," p.p. rectus "right, straight;" Ger. recht; E. right; PIE base *reg- "right, just; to move in a straight line."
Sarrâst, from sar here an intensive element meaning "side," originally "head" (Mid.Pers. sar; Av. sarah- "head;" Skt. siras- "head;" Gk. kara "head," keras "horn;" Mod.Pers. sarun "horn;" L. cerebrum "brain;" PIE *ker- "head, horn") + râst, as above.
Râštidan, infinitive from râšt, variant râst "direct."

A correlation between two variables such that as one variable becomes large, the other also becomes large, and vice versa. The correlation coefficient is between 0 and +1. Also called positive correlation.

→ direct; → correlation.

An → electric current which flows in one direction only and which is substantially constant in magnitude. Virtually all electronic and computer hardware needs direct current to function. → Alternating current can be converted to direct current by means of a power supply consisting of a → transformer.

→ direct; → current.

The motion of a solar system body from West to East across the sky against the background stars. It is the "normal" direction of motion within the solar system. For rotating or orbiting solar system objects it is anti-clockwise as seen from above the solar system in the direction of the North Pole. The same as → prograde motion. See also → retrograde motion.

→ direct; → motion.

A word or group of words representing the person or thing upon which the action of a verb is performed or toward which it is directed. In English, generally coming after the verb, without a preposition. In He saw it the pronoun it is the direct object of saw (Dictionary.com).

→ direct; → object.

In → graph theory, an edge where endpoints are distinguished; one is the head and the other is the tail. A directed edge is specified as an ordered pair of → vertices, u, v and is denoted by (u, v) or u→ v.

→ directed; → edge.

In → graph theory, a graph with → directed edges. Also calle → digraph.

→ directed; → graph.

In a → directed graph, a path in which all → edges are oriented in the same direction.

→ directed; → edge.

1) A position to which motion or another position is referred.
2) The act or an instance of directing.

M.E. direccioun, from M.Fr., from L. direction-, stem of directio "arranging in line, straightening," → direct.

1) Râstâ, from direct→ direct + -â dimension suffix; su, from Mid.Pers. sôk "side."
2) Râštâri, noun from râštâr→ director + suffix -i.

An angle made by a given vector and a coordinate axis.
The angle between the North and a chosen direction.

→ direct; → angle.

A person who directs a project, a group, a production.

From → direct + -tor a suffix found in loanwords from L., forming personal agent nouns from verbs.

Râštâr, from râšt- stem of râštidan→ direct + -âr suffix of agent noun (as in parastâr "nurse").

Not in a direct course, path, action, or procedure.

→ in-; → direct.

A word or group of words representing the person or thing with reference to which the action of a verb is performed. In English generally coming between the verb and the direct object and paraphrasable as the object of a preposition, usually to or for, following the direct object, as the boy in He gave the boy a book (Dictionary.com).

→ indirect; → object.

A person who directs a project.

→ project; → director.

A person who has the quality of guiding, regulating, or controlling the work of other researchers.

→ research; → director.