The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Direct \Di*rect"\, a. [L. directus, p. p. of dirigere to direct:
   cf. F. direct. See Dress, and cf. Dirge.]
   1. Straight; not crooked, oblique, or circuitous; leading by
      the short or shortest way to a point or end; as, a direct
      line; direct means.
      [1913 Webster]

            What is direct to, what slides by, the question.
                                                  --Locke.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Straightforward; not of crooked ways, or swerving from
      truth and openness; sincere; outspoken.
      [1913 Webster]

            Be even and direct with me.           --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous.
      [1913 Webster]

            He nowhere, that I know, says it in direct words.
                                                  --Locke.
      [1913 Webster]

            A direct and avowed interference with elections.
                                                  --Hallam.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. In the line of descent; not collateral; as, a descendant
      in the direct line.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. (Astron.) In the direction of the general planetary
      motion, or from west to east; in the order of the signs;
      not retrograde; -- said of the motion of a celestial
      body.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. (Political Science) Pertaining to, or effected immediately
      by, action of the people through their votes instead of
      through one or more representatives or delegates; as,
      direct nomination, direct legislation.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   Direct action.
      (a) (Mach.) See Direct-acting.
      (b) (Trade unions) See Syndicalism, below. [Webster 1913
          Suppl.]

   Direct discourse (Gram.), the language of any one quoted
      without change in its form; as, he said "I can not come;"
      -- correlative to indirect discourse, in which there is
      change of form; as, he said that he could not come. They
      are often called respectively by their Latin names,
      oratio directa, and oratio obliqua.

   Direct evidence (Law), evidence which is positive or not
      inferential; -- opposed to circumstantial evidence, or
      indirect evidence. -- This distinction, however, is
      merely formal, since there is no direct evidence that is
      not circumstantial, or dependent on circumstances for its
      credibility. --Wharton.

   Direct examination (Law), the first examination of a
      witness in the orderly course, upon the merits. --Abbott.

   Direct fire (Mil.), fire, the direction of which is
      perpendicular to the line of troops or to the parapet
      aimed at.

   Direct process (Metal.), one which yields metal in working
      condition by a single process from the ore. --Knight.

   Direct tax, a tax assessed directly on lands, etc., and
      polls, distinguished from taxes on merchandise, or
      customs, and from excise.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Examination \Ex*am`i*na"tion\, n. [L. examinatio: cf. F.
   examination.]
   1. The act of examining, or state of being examined; a
      careful search, investigation, or inquiry; scrutiny by
      study or experiment.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A process prescribed or assigned for testing
      qualification; as, the examination of a student, or of a
      candidate for admission to the bar or the ministry.
      [1913 Webster]

            He neglected the studies, . . . stood low at the
            examinations.                         --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster]

   Examination in chief, or Direct examination (Law), that
      examination which is made of a witness by a party calling
      him.

   Cross-examination, that made by the opposite party.

   Re["e]xamination, or Re-direct examination, (Law) that
      questioning of a witness at trial made by the party
      calling the witness, after, and upon matters arising out
      of, the cross-examination; also called informally
      re-direct.

   Syn: Search; inquiry; investigation; research; scrutiny;
        inquisition; inspection; exploration.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

direct examination
    n 1: (law) the initial questioning of a witness by the party
         that called the witness