(chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid
(physics) the process in which incident radiated energy is retained without reflection or transmission on passing through a medium; "the absorption of photons by atoms or molecules"
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
the ability to hear; the auditory faculty; "his hearing was impaired"
a session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken; "the investigative committee will hold hearings in Chicago"
an opportunity to state your case and be heard; "they condemned him without a hearing"; "he saw that he had lost his audience"
a diligent effort; "it is a job requiring serious application"
the work of applying something; "the doctor prescribed a topical application of iodine"; "a complete bleach requires several applications"; "the surface was ready for a coating of paint";
the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose; "he advocated the application of statistics to the problem"; "a novel application of electronics to medical diagnosis"
a verbal or written request for assistance or employment or admission to a school; "December 31 is the deadline for applications"
a program that gives a computer instructions that provide the user with tools to accomplish a task; "he has tried several different word processing applications"
the act of referring or consulting; "reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer"
the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to; "the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos"
the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to; "he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes"
a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to; "he carried an armful of references back to his desk"; "he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation"
lacking compromising or mitigating elements; exact; "the direct opposite"
direct in spatial dimensions; proceeding without deviation or interruption; straight and short; "a direct route"; "a direct flight"; "a direct hit"
(of a current) flowing in one direction only; "direct current"
extended senses; direct in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach"
similar in nature or effect or relation to another quantity; "a term is in direct proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other increases (or decreases)"
moving from west to east on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in the same direction as the Earth
having no intervening persons, agents, conditions; "in direct sunlight"; "in direct contact with the voters"; "direct exposure to the disease"; "a direct link"; "the direct cause of the accident"; "direct vote"
in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker; "a direct quotation"; "repeated their dialog verbatim"
being an immediate result or consequence; "a direct result of the accident"
command with authority; "He directed the children to do their homework"
give directions to; point somebody into a certain direction; "I directed them towards the town hall"
ask (for something); "He applied for a leave of absence"; "She applied for college"; "apply for a job"
refer (a word or name) to a person or thing; "He applied this racial slur to me!"
apply oneself to; "Please apply yourself to your homework"
be pertinent or relevant or applicable; "The same laws apply to you!"; "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone"
characterized by the exactness or precision of mathematics; "mathematical precision"
statistically possible though highly improbable; "have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs"
beyond question; "a mathematical certainty"
of or pertaining to or of the nature of mathematics; "a mathematical textbook"; "slide rules and other mathematical instruments"; "a mathematical solution to a problem"; "mathematical proof"
operating or moving or allowing movement in one direction only; "a unidirectional flow"; "a unidirectional antenna"; "a unidirectional approach to a problem"