dirt
noun
\ ˈdərt
\
\
Definition of dirt
1a
: excrement
b
: a filthy or soiling substance (such as mud, dust, or grime)
c
archaic
: something worthless
d
: a contemptible person
treated me like dirt
2
: loose or packed soil or sand : earth
a mound of dirt a dirt road
3a
: an abject or filthy state : squalor
living in dirt
b
: corruption, chicanery
vowed to clean up the dirt in the city government
c
: licentiousness of language or theme
d
: scandalous or malicious gossip
spreading dirt about his ex-wife
e
: embarrassing or incriminating information
trying to dig up dirt on her political rivals
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Examples of dirt in a Sentence
Pack dirt loosely around the base of the plant.
You've got some dirt on your face.
Their shoes were covered with dirt.
No amount of cleaning will get rid of all this dirt.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Seconds earlier, the groom was standing nervously in the dirt of the Del Mar racetrack, watching a video replay of Wednesday’s Harry F. Brubaker Stakes. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Day in the life of a groom on the Del Mar backstretch," 24 Aug. 2019 Investigators noted there was a shovel and pick in the backseat of Perez’s car with what appeared to be fresh dirt. — Jacob Beltran, ExpressNews.com, "Affidavit reveals details of events leading to discovery of woman’s body," 2 Aug. 2019 Barnhart dropped his head and pounded his glove in the dirt. — Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "Luis Castillo allows 6 runs, Cincinnati Reds crushed in loss to Colorado Rockies," 27 July 2019 Still, she’s been known to crouch in the dirt to help local farmers harvest a bumper crop of sweet potatoes before the rain comes. — Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Larder brings Chez Panisse-style to Old Goucher," 24 July 2019 One of the best' In a six-pitch at-bat, Scott threw four balls in the dirt, including the 3-2 fastball that only went 57 feet. — Greg Moore, azcentral, "Ketel Marte's torrid July for Diamondbacks stands out from scoreboard watching, trade speculation," 24 July 2019 Earlier Saturday, Harvey had crouched behind the mound at Angel Stadium and pressed one of his fists to the number 45 painted in the dirt in Skaggs’ memory. — Maria Torres, latimes.com, "'Dark Knight' finds silver lining as Matt Harvey returns to Angels victorious," 13 July 2019 The artifact was covered in dirt when it was first identified during a recent dig. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "‘Seditious’ Pressed Glass Jewel Found in 18th-Century North Carolina Tavern," 10 July 2019 That doesn’t give Adelphia Gateway license to put shovels in the dirt, however. — Vinny Vella, https://www.inquirer.com, "As Adelphia pipeline clears hurdles, Bucks officials raise zoning concerns," 4 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dirt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for dirt
dirt
noun
English Language Learners Definition of dirt
: loose earth or soil
: a substance (such as mud or dust) that makes things unclean
informal
: a person or thing that has no value
See the full definition for dirt in the English Language Learners Dictionary
dirt
noun
\ ˈdərt
\
\
Kids Definition of dirt
1
: soil entry 2 sense 1
She packed dirt around the plant.
2
: a substance (as mud or dust) that makes things unclean
Wipe the dirt off your face.
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