From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdirtdirt /dɜːt $ dɜːrt/ ●●● S3 noun [uncountable] 1 DIRTYany substance that makes things dirty, such as mud or dust You should have seen the dirt on that car! His face and hands were black with dirt. a patch of grass, covered in dog dirt (=waste from a dog’s bowels)2 TAS especially American English earth or soil Michael threw his handful of dirt onto the coffin.in (the) dirt The children had been sitting in the dirt.3 informalKNOW something information about someone’s private life or activities which could give people a bad opinion of them if it became known The newspapers had been digging up dirt on the president.4 RUDE/OBSCENEtalk, writing, a film etc that is considered bad or immoral because it is about sex → dish the dirt at dish2, → hit/strike paydirt at paydirt, → hit the dirt at hit1(17), → treat somebody like dirt at treat1(1)COLLOCATIONSverbsremove the dirt (from something)First, remove any dirt from the cut.brush off/wash off/clean off the dirtWash the dirt off those boots before you come in.something shows the dirt (=something looks dirty – used about colours)Light-coloured clothes show the dirt rather quickly.adjectivesloose dirt (=that you can brush off easily)Keep your pack clean by brushing off any loose dirt after use. ingrained dirt (=under the surface of something and difficult to clean off)We had to wash the walls to remove the ingrained dirt. ground-in dirt (=difficult to remove because people have walked over something )He had a lot of trouble getting rid of the ground-in dirt from the carpet.phrasesbe covered with dirtThe kitchen floor was covered with dirt.be black with dirt (=be very dirty)Jack came in from the garden, his hands black with dirt.a speck of dirt (=a very small piece of dirt)Their house was so clean – there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere.
Examples from the Corpus
dirt• They live at the end of a dirt road.• The government was paying farmers fifteen cents a cubic yard to move dirt.• The hose washed off something that was not dirt.• The film of steam combined with the patina of dirt on the glass made them almost opaque.• The rooms were cleaned until every speck of dirt and grit was gone.• A quick ride up a short but somewhat steep dirt road takes you to Mulholland Drive, known here as dirt Mulholland.• The kids were playing in the yard, digging in the dirt.• That way, enough bag was left to use as a flap to hold in the dirt.• He stabbed the brake, stabbed too hard, and his back wheels slurred in the dirt.• Jack looked up and wiped a grubby hand wearily over his face, streaking the dirt still further.• She swept the dirt off the back porch.• Why is there dirt all over the back seat of the car?• The floor was covered with dirt.• He took off his glasses, which were covered with dirt.• Put the seeds in the pot and cover them with dirt.in (the) dirt• He staggered forward, covered in dirt, his clothing ripped and ragged.• A third saguaro lies full-length in the dirt, one end squashed flat and stamped with the imprint of tire treads.• A rarely used volleyball net stood lonely in the dirt and weeds.• Putting an arm round her shoulder, he crouched down and used a stick to draw the meadow in the dirt.• Take a stick and scratch pictures in the dirt.• The chickens' surviving relatives clucked and scratched in the dirt, oblivious to the drifting feathers.• He stabbed the brake, stabbed too hard, and his back wheels slurred in the dirt.• The two halves twitched and wriggled in the dirt.Origin dirt (1200-1300) Old Norse drit 