Collocations for dirt - noun
1. substance that makes sth dirty
ADJECTIVE
excess,
loose
She brushed the loose dirt off her coat.
She brushed the loose dirt off her coat.
ingrained
dog (BrE)
accumulated
Clean your face with soap to remove accumulated dirt and oil.
dog (BrE)
accumulated
Clean your face with soap to remove accumulated dirt and oil.
VERB + dirt
be covered in,
be covered with
His shoes were covered in dirt.
His shoes were covered in dirt.
brush off,
clean off,
dust off (esp. AmE),
remove,
rub,
rub off,
scrape,
scrub off,
shake,
wash off,
wipe
He rubbed the dirt off his face. (BrE)
He rubbed the dirt from his face. (AmE)
He rubbed the dirt off his face. (BrE)
He rubbed the dirt from his face. (AmE)
sweep
He swept the dirt out onto the porch.
He swept the dirt out onto the porch.
show
The white rug really shows the dirt.
The white rug really shows the dirt.
attract
(esp. AmE)
This material does not attract much dirt.
This material does not attract much dirt.
loosen
(esp. AmE)
Massage your scalp to loosen any dirt.
Massage your scalp to loosen any dirt.
dirt + VERB
accumulate
Dirt had accumulated in the corners of the windows.
Dirt had accumulated in the corners of the windows.
cover
Blood and dirt covered his face.
Blood and dirt covered his face.
dirt + NOUN
fleck (AmE),
particle,
speck
Sunlight steamed through the dirt particles in the air.
Sunlight steamed through the dirt particles in the air.
2. (AmE) soil/mud
ADJECTIVE
excess,
loose
She filled the hole with loose dirt.
She filled the hole with loose dirt.
soft
Her fingernails raked the soft dirt beneath her.
Her fingernails raked the soft dirt beneath her.
dry,
wet
a floor of dry dirt
a floor of dry dirt
hard-packed,
packed
He landed hard on the packed dirt.
He landed hard on the packed dirt.
bare
(AmE)
The front lawn has patches of bare dirt.
The front lawn has patches of bare dirt.
cold
He picked himself up off the cold dirt.
He picked himself up off the cold dirt.
fill
a couple of inches of fill dirt
a couple of inches of fill dirt
infield
(AmE)
Rose picked the ball up off the infield dirt.
Rose picked the ball up off the infield dirt.
ingrained
fresh
the mounds of fresh dirt over all the graves
fresh
the mounds of fresh dirt over all the graves
VERB + dirt
be covered in,
be covered with
His shoes were covered in dirt.
His shoes were covered in dirt.
dig,
move,
shovel
The men started to shovel dirt into the open grave.
The men started to shovel dirt into the open grave.
throw
They threw dirt into my face.
They threw dirt into my face.
dirt + NOUN
course,
driveway,
lane,
path,
road,
street,
strip,
track,
trail
the Palermo dirt course
the Palermo dirt course
floor,
ground
wall
The blow knocked him against the dirt wall.
wall
The blow knocked him against the dirt wall.
lot,
parking lot,
yard
the dirt yard in front of the barn
the dirt yard in front of the barn
farmer
farm
He grew up on a dirt farm in upstate New York.
farm
He grew up on a dirt farm in upstate New York.
clod,
clump
They throw sticks and dirt clods up into the air.
They throw sticks and dirt clods up into the air.
mound,
pile
smudge, stain
I tried to rub off a dirt stain on my sleeve.
smudge, stain
I tried to rub off a dirt stain on my sleeve.
3. harmful/unpleasant information about sb
VERB + dirt
have
get (esp. AmE)
We need to get some dirt on her.
get (esp. AmE)
We need to get some dirt on her.
dig,
dig up
He could dig up so much dirt on her.
He could dig up so much dirt on her.
PHRASES
dish the dirt
She just loves to dish the dirt (= tell people unkind/unpleasant things about sb).
She just loves to dish the dirt (= tell people unkind/unpleasant things about sb).