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down

[doun]

adverb

from higher to lower; in descending direction or order; toward, into, or in a lower position: to come down the ladder.

on or to the ground, floor, or bottom: He fell down.

to or in a sitting or lying position.

to or in a position, area, or district considered lower, especially from a geographical or cartographic standpoint, as to the south, a business district, etc.: We drove from San Francisco down to Los Angeles.

to or at a lower value or rate.

EXPAND

to a lesser pitch or volume: Turn down the radio.

in or to a calmer, less active, or less prominent state: The wind died down.

from an earlier to a later time: from the 17th century down to the present.

from a greater to a lesser strength, amount, etc.: to water down liquor.

10.

in an attitude of earnest application: to get down to work.

11.

on paper or in a book: Write down the address.

12.

in cash at the time of purchase; at once: We paid $50 down and $20 a month.

13.

to the point of defeat, submission, inactivity, etc.: They shouted down the opposition.

14.

in or into a fixed or supine position: They tied down the struggling animal.

15.

to the source or actual position: The dogs tracked down the bear.

16.

into a condition of ill health: He's come down with a cold.

17.

in or into a lower status or condition: kept down by lack of education.

18.

Nautical. toward the lee side, so as to turn a vessel to windward: Put the helm down!

19.

Slang. on toast (as used in ordering a sandwich at a lunch counter or restaurant): Give me a tuna down.

COLLAPSE

preposition

20.

in a descending or more remote direction or place on, over, or along: They ran off down the street.

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Down is one of our favorite verbs.

So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

adjective

21.

downward; going or directed downward: the down escalator.

22.

being at a low position or on the ground, floor, or bottom.

23.

toward the south, a business district, etc.

24.

associated with or serving traffic, transportation, or the like, directed toward the south, a business district, etc.: the down platform.

25.

downcast; depressed; dejected: You seem very down today.

EXPAND

26.

ailing, especially, sick and bedridden: He's been down with a bad cold.

27.

being the portion of the full price, as of an article bought on the installment plan, that is paid at the time of purchase or delivery: a payment of $200 down.

28.

Football. (of the ball) not in play.

29.

Slang.

agreeing, supporting, or understanding: I'm totally down with that. He's down with those kids.

sophisticated or hip; cool: That music is down.

30.

behind an opponent or opponents in points, games, etc.: The team won the pennant despite having been down three games in the final week of play.

31.

Baseball. out.

32.

losing or having lost the amount indicated, especially at gambling: After an hour at poker, he was down $10.

33.

having placed one's bet: Are you down for the fourth race?

34.

finished, done, considered, or taken care of: five down and one to go.

35.

out of order: The computer has been down all day.

COLLAPSE

noun

36.

a downward movement; descent.

37.

a turn for the worse; reverse: The business cycle experienced a sudden down.

38.

Football.

one of a series of four plays during which a team must advance the ball at least 10 yards (9 meters) to keep possession of it.

the declaring of the ball as down or out of play, or the play immediately preceding this.

39.

Slang. an order of toast at a lunch counter or restaurant.

40.

Slang. downer (defs. 1a, b).

verb (used with object)

41.

to put, knock, or throw down; subdue: He downed his opponent in the third round.

42.

to drink down, especially quickly or in one gulp: to down a tankard of ale.

43.

Informal. to defeat in a game or contest: The Mets downed the Dodgers in today's game.

44.

to cause to fall from a height, especially by shooting: Antiaircraft guns downed ten bombers.

verb (used without object)

45.

to go down; fall.

interjection

46.

(used as a command to a dog to stop attacking, to stop jumping on someone, to get off a couch or chair, etc.): Down, Rover!

47.

(used as a command or warning to duck, take cover, or the like): Down! They're starting to shoot!

Idioms

48.

down and out, down-and-out.

49.

down cold/pat, mastered or learned perfectly: Another hour of studying and I'll have the math lesson down cold.

50.

down in the mouth, discouraged; depressed; sad.

51.

down on, Informal. hostile or averse to: Why are you so down on sports?

52.

down with!

away with! cease!: Down with tyranny!

on or toward the ground or into a lower position: Down with your rifles!

Origin:
before 1100; Middle English doune, Old English dūne, aphetic variant of adūne for of dūne off (the) hill; see a-², down³

Related forms

un·downed, adjective

Example Sentences

Jobs, its co-founder and leading product visionary, would step down from the chief executive role.

Breaking it down by industry suggests another way that migrants created jobs.

Find a low spot or depression and crouch down as low as possible, but don't lie down on the ground.

EXPAND

Jobs, its co-founder and leading product visionary, would step down from the chief executive role.

Breaking it down by industry suggests another way that migrants created jobs.

Find a low spot or depression and crouch down as low as possible, but don't lie down on the ground.

Many dams are being torn down these days, allowing rivers and the ecosystems they support to rebound.

All the landers were left behind, the bases remaining where they touched down.

These methods not only knock down the weeds but also incorporate them into the soil, where they decay to form humus.

Google has taken the first step toward knocking down the walls.

The reason nappies are difficult to break down has nothing to do with their use.

The rest of the dam is going to be taken down in the ensuing months.

It's fourth and goal, and your team is down by three points with seconds left in the game.

Push down on feet ascenders, push up with arm ascenders, stick your butt out and rest.

With both hands, carefully pull the soil ball apart, and set it down on a flat surface.

Military technology used to filter down to consumers.

Wooden stick frame home blow down and then get rebuilt the same way.

She tore down the runway toward him with open arms, her spirits-and feet-flying.

Rain really beats down pansy flowers, but violas bounce back quickly.

Steering her was futile, and the vessel slid slowly down the wall of the gyre.

When a storm blows in, let it rain for an hour before you divert what's coming down the downspout into your barrel.

They're thinking about going down to the beach and throwing them back.

Caramelize the shallot in the pancetta fat, add the wine and geranium leaves, and boil until it cooks down to a syrup.

If the enemy was scaling the walls, soldiers could drop rocks or boiling oil down through the holes and onto the enemy below.

Grill vegetables and chop, cool down for further prep.

With a slotted spoon, push them down into oil until they begin to puff.

Turn the cell-pack upside down and poke plants out by pushing with your thumbs on the bottom of each cell.

Cut or mow cover crop down and till it into the soil.

When the coals are medium hot, place the salmon on the grill skin side down.

Branches arch out and down and branchlets hang nearly straight down.

And sitting down to a cup or bowl of steaming soup is the perfect way to hunker down and get comfortable for the rest of the meal.

Start grilling the cap with the gill side down until the juices begin to seep.

Devotees say that plants grown dangling upside down save space, and are less vulnerable to pests and weeds.

They create an undermarket of labor that drives wages down.

One man's quest to track down every copy on the planet.

Water drips down plant-topped columns into a dreamy pond.

Now, the military is cracking down on one of the smear-distribution.

Amazon seems to be cranking down on duplicative e-book publishing.

From the edge, two of the world's leading volcano scientists look down into the.

Then, a chick-so unexpected that my eye skips over it at first-totters down with the adults.

New federal mortgage rules may set minimum down payments to encourage responsible lending.

Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver.

Telescopes in space could help pin down the risk of a deadly impact.

If you go there, dress down and don't bring anything nice.

The rule for accurately determining the level of the ingredients in a transparent measuring cup is to bend down and look.

Ways that cooks can cut down on meat, and push it from the center of the plate.

The blue of the sky was veiled in a hot, white haze, and a vindictive sun smote down on the hard-baked earth and frizzling.

It's a beautiful afternoon at the ballpark, at which you have plunked down good money to be a spectator.

We were up in a big car looking down on him, but somehow he was in charge.

Record dry spring could drive up wheat prices, and lack of water may force nuclear reactors to shut down.

The sun was down and a chill seeped down the hill as day visitors hurried to their cars.

Purchasing a green product could make you more likely to behave more selfishly down the road, a new study reveals.

Rainfall washed increasing levels of sediment down mountain slopes, clogging rivers and smothering fisheries.

Baby boomers who keep up the pace as they age are likely to outlive those who slow down.

The people may have hunted the game to extirpation and cut down what trees there were.

He built the deck off the back of the house to step down toward the valley floor.

Easing the spikes in wind power, keeping solar power producing after the sun goes down.

It was unprecedented both in the scale of human damage done and the difficulty of hunting down those who did it.

Then this man came down the beach and introduced himself to us.

The bad news is that these cells are really hard to study because their job is to be hard to break down.

But beware: what linguistic fashion raises up, it can also bring down.

Kayakers cruise down both forks in the river, a few tricky dips on the north fork spicing things up for onlookers.

Transgenic trees and plants may break down the pollutants left behind at sites ranging from former factories to firing ranges.

Chemical fixatives can pin down reproducing cells in flagrante delicto.

Steps lead down to the beach, strewn with huge piles of.

The challenge often lies in boiling down scientific information to the readability/cultural levels of the average reader.

He sat down on the cable and ate a piece of cake, washed down with champagne.

Irrigate about once a week and drain excess water by turning each tray upside down over a sink.

They break down rock, construct mineral deposits and create by-products ranging from electrical currents to methane.

Then plant in early evening after temperatures have cooled down.

The plant survives down to subzero temperatures and produces an abundance of fruit in spring.

Dig into the hillside a bit at each tier before putting down the stream liners.

Take in the old-Hollywood atmosphere-all red leather and mirrors-as a burger drips juice down your chin.

Light breaks down the chlorophyll in herbs and makes yellow spots that often turn white.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

the soft, first plumage of many young birds.

the soft under plumage of birds as distinct from the contour feathers.

the under plumage of some birds, as geese and ducks, used for filling in quilts, clothing, etc., chiefly for warmth.

a growth of soft, fine hair or the like.

Botany.

a fine, soft pubescence on plants and some fruits.

the light, feathery pappus or coma on seeds by which they are borne on the wind, as on the dandelion and thistle.

adjective

filled with down: a down jacket.

Origin:
1325–75; Middle English downe < Old Norse dūnn

Related forms

down·less, adjective

down·like, adjective

noun

Often, downs. (used especially in southern England) open, rolling, upland country with fairly smooth slopes usually covered with grass.

(initial capital letter) any sheep of several breeds, raised originally in the downs of southern England, as the Southdown, Suffolk, etc.

Archaic. a hill, especially a sand hill or dune.

Origin:
before 1000; Middle English; Old English dūn hill; cognate with Dutch duin dune; not related to Irish, Old Irish dún (see town)

noun

a county in SW Northern Ireland. 311,876; 952 sq. mi. (2466 sq. km). County seat: Downpatrick.

an administrative district in this county. 49,500; 253 sq. mi. (654 sq. km).

Link To down

Collins

World English Dictionary

down¹ (daʊn)

—*prep*
1.	used to indicate movement from a higher to a lower position: they went down the mountain
2.	at a lower or further level or position on, in, or along: he ran down the street

—*adv*
3.	downwards; at or to a lower level or position: don't fall down
4.	(particle) used with many verbs when the result of the verb's action is to lower or destroy its object: pull down; knock down; bring down
5.	(particle) used with several verbs to indicate intensity or completion: calm down
6.	immediately: cash down
7.	on paper: write this down
8.	arranged; scheduled: the meeting is down for next week
9.	in a helpless position: they had him down on the ground
10.	a. away from a more important place: down from London
	b. away from a more northerly place: down from Scotland
	c. (of a member of some British universities) away from the university; on vacation
	d. in a particular part of a country: down south
11.	nautical (of a helm) having the rudder to windward
12.	reduced to a state of lack or want: down to the last pound
13.	lacking a specified amount: at the end of the day the cashier was ten pounds down
14.	lower in price: bacon is down
15.	including all intermediate terms, grades, people, etc: from managing director down to tea-lady
16.	from an earlier to a later time: the heirloom was handed down
17.	to a finer or more concentrated state: to grind down; boil down
18.	sport being a specified number of points, goals, etc behind another competitor, team, etc: six goals down
19.	(of a person) being inactive, owing to illness: down with flu
20.	(functioning as imperative) (to dogs): down Rover!
21.	(functioning as imperative) down with wanting the end of somebody or something: down with the king!
22.	(Austral), (NZ) get down on something to procure something, esp in advance of needs or in anticipation of someone else

—*adj*
23.	(postpositive) depressed or miserable
24.	(prenominal) of or relating to a train or trains from a more important place or one regarded as higher: the down line
25.	(postpositive) (of a device, machine, etc, esp a computer) temporarily out of action
26.	made in cash: a down payment
27.	down to the responsibility or fault of: this defeat was down to me
28.	informal down with
	a. having a good understanding of: down with computers
	b. in agreement with: completely down with that idea
	c. enjoying mutual friendship and respect with: down with the kids

—vb
29.	(tr) to knock, push or pull down
30.	(intr) to go or come down
31.	informal (tr) to drink, esp quickly: he downed three gins
32.	(tr) to bring (someone) down, esp by tackling

—n
33.	American football one of a maximum of four consecutive attempts by one team to advance the ball a total of at least ten yards
34.	a descent; downward movement
35.	a lowering or a poor period (esp in the phrase ups and downs)
36.	informal have a down on to bear ill will towards (someone or something)

[Old English dūne, short for adūne, variant of of dūne, literally: from the hill, from of, off + dūn hill; see down³]

down² (daʊn)

—n
1.	the soft fine feathers with free barbs that cover the body of a bird and prevent loss of heat. In the adult they lie beneath and between the contour feathers
2.	another name for eiderdown
3.	botany a fine coating of soft hairs, as on certain leaves, fruits, and seeds
4.	any growth or coating of soft fine hair, such as that on the human face

[C14: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse dūnn]

down³ (daʊn)

—n
	archaic downs See also Downs a hill, esp a sand dune

[Old English dūn; related to Old Frisian dūne, Old Saxon dūna hill, Old Irish dūn fortress, Greek this sandbank; see dune, town]

Down¹ (daʊn)

—n
1.	a district of SE Northern Ireland, in Co Down. Pop: 65 195 (2003 est). Area: 649 sq km (250 sq miles)
2.	a historical county of SE Northern Ireland, on the Irish Sea: generally hilly, rising to the Mountains of Mourne: in 1973 it was replaced for administrative purposes by the districts of Ards, Banbridge, Castlereagh, Down, Newry and Mourne, North Down, and part of Lisburn. Area: 2466 sq km (952 sq miles)

Down² (daʊn)

—n
1.	See also Dorset Down any of various lowland breeds of sheep, typically of stocky build and having dense close wool, originating from various parts of southern England, such as Oxford, Hampshire, etc
2.	another name for Hampshire Down

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

down

O.E. ofdune "downwards," from dune "from the hill," dative of dun "hill" (see down (n.2)). Used as a preposition since c.1500. Sense of "depressed mentally" is attested from c.1600. Slang sense of "aware, wide awake" is attested from 1812. Computer sense is from 1965. Down-and-out

EXPAND

is from 1889, Amer.Eng., from situation of a beaten prizefighter. Down home (adj.) is 1931, Amer.Eng.; down the hatch as a toast is from 1931; down to the wire is 1901, from horse-racing. Down time is from 1952. Down under "Australia and New Zealand" attested from 1886; Down East "Maine" is from 1825.

down

"soft feathers," c.1369, from O.N. dunn, perhaps ult. from PIE base *dheu- "to fly about (like dust), to whirl, shake."

down

O.E. dun "hill," from Celtic word for "hill, citadel" (cf. O.Ir. dun "hill, hill fort," and second element in place names London, Verdun, etc.), from PIE base *dheue- "to close, finish, come full circle" (cf. O.E. dun "hill," M.Du. dune "sandy hill"). Meaning "elevated rolling grassland" is from c.1300.

COLLAPSE

Slang Dictionary

down definition

mod.
depressed; melancholy. (See also down with (sth).) : I feel sort of down today.
mod.
[of a machine] inoperative. (Originally said of a computer.) : The system is down. Come back later.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

down (with (so)) definition

mod.
friends with someone; to be okay or on good terms with someone. (Down = okay.) : It's okay. I'm down with Chuck.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

down definition

1. Not operating. "The up escalator is down" is considered a humorous thing to say, and "The elevator is down" always means "The elevator isn't working" and never refers to what floor the elevator is on. With respect to computers, this term has passed into the mainstream; the extension to other kinds of machine is still hackish.
2. "go down" To stop functioning; usually said of the system. The message from the console that every hacker hates to hear from the operator is "System going down in 5 minutes".
3. "take down", "bring down" To deactivate purposely, usually for repair work or PM. "I'm taking the system down to work on that bug in the tape drive." Occasionally one hears the word "down" by itself used as a verb in this sense.
See crash; opposite: up.
[Jargon File]
(1994-12-07)

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

down

In addition to the idioms beginning with down, also see back down; batten down the hatches; bear down; beat down; be down; belt down; bog down; boil down to; break down; breathe down one's neck; bring down; bring down the house; buckle down; build down; burn down; call down; cast down; caught with one's pants down; chow down; clamp down; close down; come down; come down on; come down to; come down with; cool down; cool off (down); count down; crack down; cut down; deep down; die away (down); dig down; draw down; dressing down; face down; fall down; flag down to; get down to brass tacks; go down (downhill); go down the line; hand down; hands down; hold down; it's all downhill; jump down someone's throat; keep down; knock back (down); knock down with a feather; knuckle down; lay down; lay down the law; lead down the garden path; let down easy; let one's hair down; let someone down; let the side down; lie down (on the job); live down; look down on; lowdown, get the; mark down; mow down; nail down; pin down; pipe down; play down; plunk down; pull down; put down; put down roots; put one's foot down; ram down someone's throat; ring down the curtain; rub down; run down; scale down; sell down the river; send down; set down; settle down; shake down; shoot down; shout down; shut down; simmer down; sit down; slap down; slow down; splash down; stand down; stare down; step down; strike down; suit down to the ground; take down; take down a notch; take lying down; talk down to; tear down; the lowdown on; throw down the gauntlet; thumbs up (down); tie down; tone down; touch down; track down; trade down; turn down; turn upside down; ups and downs; vote down; wash down; water down; wear down; weigh down; when it comes (down) to; when the chips are down; wind down; write down.

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Idioms & Phrases

down

back down

batten down the hatches

bear down

beat down

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