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down

1  [doun]
Use down in a Sentence
–adverb
1. from higher to lower; in descending direction or order; toward, into, or in a lower position: to come down the ladder.
2. on or to the ground, floor, or bottom: He fell down.
3. to or in a sitting or lying position.
4. to or in a position, area, or district considered lower, esp. from a geographical or cartographic standpoint, as to the south, a business district, etc.: We drove from San Francisco down to Los Angeles.
5. to or at a lower value or rate.
6. to a lesser pitch or volume: Turn down the radio.
7. in or to a calmer, less active, or less prominent state: The wind died down.
8. from an earlier to a later time: from the 17th century down to the present.
9. 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.
–preposition
20. in a descending or more remote direction or place on, over, or along: They ran off down the street.
–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.
26. ailing, esp., 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. 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.
30. Baseball. out.
31. losing or having lost the amount indicated, esp. at gambling: After an hour at poker, he was down $10.
32. having placed one's bet: Are you down for the fourth race?
33. finished, done, considered, or taken care of: five down and one to go.
34. out of order: The computer has been down all day.
–noun
35. a downward movement; descent.
36. a turn for the worse; reverse: The business cycle experienced a sudden down.
37. Football.
a. one of a series of four plays during which a team must advance the ball at least 10 yd. (9 m) to keep possession of it.
b. the declaring of the ball as down or out of play, or the play immediately preceding this.
38. Slang. an order of toast at a lunch counter or restaurant.
39. Slang. downer (defs. 1a, b).
–verb (used with object)
40. to put, knock, or throw down; subdue: He downed his opponent in the third round.
41. to drink down, esp. quickly or in one gulp: to down a tankard of ale.
42. Informal. to defeat in a game or contest: The Mets downed the Dodgers in today's game.
43. to cause to fall from a height, esp. by shooting: Antiaircraft guns downed ten bombers.
–verb (used without object)
44. to go down; fall.
–interjection
45. (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!
46. (used as a command or warning to duck, take cover, or the like): Down! They're starting to shoot!
—Idioms
47. down and out, down-and-out.
48. down cold or pat, mastered or learned perfectly: Another hour of studying and I'll have the math lesson down cold.
49. down in the mouth, discouraged; depressed; sad.
50. down on, Informal. hostile or averse to: Why are you so down on sports?
51. down with!
a. away with! cease!: Down with tyranny!
b. on or toward the ground or into a lower position: Down with your rifles!
Origin:
bef. 1100; ME doune, OE dūne, aph. var. of adūne for of dūne off (the) hill; see a- 2 , down 3

down

2  [doun]
–noun
1. the soft, first plumage of many young birds.
2. the soft under plumage of birds as distinct from the contour feathers.
3. the under plumage of some birds, as geese and ducks, used for filling in quilts, clothing, etc., chiefly for warmth.
4. a growth of soft, fine hair or the like.
5. Botany.
a. a fine, soft pubescence on plants and some fruits.
b. the light, feathery pappus or coma on seeds by which they are borne on the wind, as on the dandelion and thistle.
–adjective
6. filled with down: a down jacket.
Origin:
1325–75; ME downe < ON dūnn

Related forms:
downless, adjective
downlike, adjective

down

3  [doun]
–noun
1. Often, downs. (used esp. in southern England) open, rolling, upland country with fairly smooth slopes usually covered with grass.
2. (initial capital letter) any sheep of several breeds, raised originally in the downs of southern England, as the Southdown, Suffolk, etc.
3. Archaic. a hill, esp. a sand hill or dune.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; OE dūn hill; c. D duin dune; not related to Ir, OIr dún (see town )

Down

  [doun]
–noun
1. a county in SW Northern Ireland. 311,876; 952 sq. mi. (2466 sq. km). County seat: Downpatrick.
2. an administrative district in this county. 49,500; 253 sq. mi. (654 sq. km).

die

1  [dahy]
–verb (used without object), died, dy⋅ing.
1. to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.
2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist: The laughter died on his lips.
3. to lose force, strength, or active qualities: Superstitions die slowly.
4. to cease to function; stop: The motor died.
5. to be no longer subject; become indifferent: to die to worldly matters.
6. to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually fol. by away, out, or down): The storm slowly died down.
7. Theology. to lose spiritual life.
8. to faint or languish.
9. to suffer as if fatally: I'm dying of boredom!
10. to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.: I'm dying to see my home again.
11. to desire or want keenly or greatly: I'm dying for a cup of coffee.
—Verb phrases
12. die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease: The hoofbeats gradually died away.
13. die down, to become calm or quiet; subside.
14. die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced: Her friends are dying off.
15. die out,
a. to cease to exist; become extinct: Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.
b. to die away; fade; subside: The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.
—Idioms
16. die hard,
a. to die only after a bitter struggle.
b. to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty: Childhood beliefs die hard.
17. die standing up, Theater. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.
18. never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.
19. to die for, stunning; remarkable: That dress is to die for.
Origin:
1150–1200; ME dien, deien < ON deyja. Cf. dead, death

Synonyms:
1. expire, depart. Die, pass away (pass on), perish mean to relinquish life. To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. Pass away (or pass on) is a commonly used euphemism implying a con-tinuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away (passed on). Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, perish connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To down
down 1   (doun)   
adv.  
    1. From a higher to a lower place or position: hiked down from the peak.
    2. Toward, to, or on the ground, floor, or bottom: tripped and fell down.
    3. Away from a place considered central or a center of activity, such as a city or town: down on the farm; sent down to work at the firm's regional office.
    4. Away from the present place.
    5. To or in a quiescent or subdued state: calmed down.
    6. In or into an inactive or inoperative state: The generators went down at midnight.
  2. In or into a sitting, kneeling, or reclining position: knelt down; lying down.
  3. Toward or in the south; southward: flew down to Florida.
    1. Away from a place considered central or a center of activity, such as a city or town: down on the farm; sent down to work at the firm's regional office.
    2. Away from the present place.
    3. To or in a quiescent or subdued state: calmed down.
    4. In or into an inactive or inoperative state: The generators went down at midnight.
  5. To a specific location or source: tracking a rumor down.
  6. Toward or at a low or lower point on a scale: from the biggest down to the smallest.
    1. To or in a quiescent or subdued state: calmed down.
    2. In or into an inactive or inoperative state: The generators went down at midnight.
  8. To or at a lower intensity.
  9. To or into a lower or inferior condition, as of subjection, defeat, or disgrace.
  10. To an extreme degree; heavily: worn down by worry.
  11. Seriously or vigorously: get down to the project at hand.
  12. From earlier times or people: tradition handed down from one generation to the next.
  13. To a reduced or concentrated form: pared the term paper down to five pages.
  14. In writing; on paper: wrote the statement down.
  15. In partial payment at the time of purchase: put ten dollars down on the necklace.
  16. Into or toward a secure position: nailed down the boards; bolted the furniture down.
adj.  
    1. Moving or directed downward: a down elevator.
    2. Low or lower: Stock prices were down today.
    3. Reduced; diminished: The wind is down.
    4. Sports & Games Trailing an opponent: a team down 20 points in the last quarter; down two pawns in the endgame.
    5. Football Not in play: The ball is down on the 50-yard line.
    6. Football Not permitted to advance further in the play because forward progress has stopped, especially by being tackled. Used of a ball carrier.
    7. Baseball Retired; out: two down in the last of the ninth.
  2. Afflicted; sick: She's down with a bad cold.
  3. Malfunctioning or not operating, especially temporarily: The computer is down.
  4. Low in spirits; depressed: feeling down today.
    1. Sports & Games Trailing an opponent: a team down 20 points in the last quarter; down two pawns in the endgame.
    2. Football Not in play: The ball is down on the 50-yard line.
    3. Football Not permitted to advance further in the play because forward progress has stopped, especially by being tackled. Used of a ball carrier.
    4. Baseball Retired; out: two down in the last of the ninth.
  6. Completed; done: three down, two to go.
  7. Learned or known perfectly: had the algebra problems down.
  8. Slang Having knowledge of; aware: "He was not, I detected, 'down with the revolution'" (Clarence Page).
  9. Slang Of high quality; excellent.
prep.  
  1. In a descending direction along, upon, into, or through: rolled down the hill; floating down the river; went down cellar.
  2. Along the course of: walking down the street.
  3. In or at: The cans are stored down cellar.
n.  
  1. A downward movement; descent.
  2. Football Any of a series of four plays during which a team must advance at least ten yards to retain possession of the ball.
v.   downed, down·ing, downs

v.   tr.
  1. To bring, put, strike, or throw down: downed his opponent in the first round.
  2. To swallow hastily; gulp: downed the glass of water.
  3. Football To put (the ball) out of play by touching it to the ground.
v.   intr.
To go or come down; descend.

[Middle English doun, from Old English -dūne (as in ofdūne, downwards), from dūne, dative of dūn, hill; see dheuə- in Indo-European roots.]
down 2   (doun)   
n.  
  1. Fine, soft, fluffy feathers forming the first plumage of a young bird and underlying the contour feathers in certain adult birds.
  2. Botany A covering of soft, short hairs, as on some leaves or fruit.
  3. A soft, silky, or feathery substance, such as the first growth of a human beard.

[Middle English doun, from Old Norse dūnn.]
down 3   (doun)   
n.  
  1. An expanse of rolling, grassy, treeless upland used for grazing. Often used in the plural.
  2. often Down Any of several breeds of sheep having short wool, originally bred in the Downs of southern England.

[Middle English doune, from Old English dūn, hill; see dheuə- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Down

Down\, n. [Akin to LG. dune, dun, Icel. d?nn, Sw. dun, Dan. duun, G. daune, cf. D. dons; perh. akin to E. dust.]

1. Fine, soft, hairy outgrowth from the skin or surface of animals or plants, not matted and fleecy like wool; esp.: (a) (Zo["o]l.) The soft under feathers of birds. They have short stems with soft rachis and bards and long threadlike barbules, without hooklets. (b) (Bot.) The pubescence of plants; the hairy crown or envelope of the seeds of certain plants, as of the thistle. (c) The soft hair of the face when beginning to appear.

And the first down begins to shade his face. --Dryden.

2. That which is made of down, as a bed or pillow; that which affords ease and repose, like a bed of down

When in the down I sink my head, Sleep, Death's twin brother, times my breath. --Tennyson.

Thou bosom softness, down of all my cares! --Southern.

Down tree (Bot.), a tree of Central America (Ochroma Lagopus), the seeds of which are enveloped in vegetable wool.

Down

Down\, v. t. To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down. [R.] --Young.

Down

Down\, n. [OE. dun, doun, AS. d?n; of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. d?n hill, fortified hill, Gael. dun heap, hillock, hill, W. din a fortified hill or mount; akin to E. town. See Town, and cf. Down, adv. & prep., Dune.]

1. A bank or rounded hillock of sand thrown up by the wind along or near the shore; a flattish-topped hill; -- usually in the plural.

Hills afford prospects, as they must needs acknowledge who have been on the downs of Sussex. --Ray.

She went by dale, and she went by down. --Tennyson.

2. A tract of poor, sandy, undulating or hilly land near the sea, covered with fine turf which serves chiefly for the grazing of sheep; -- usually in the plural. [Eng.]

Seven thousand broad-tailed sheep grazed on his downs. --Sandys.

3. pl. A road for shipping in the English Channel or Straits of Dover, near Deal, employed as a naval rendezvous in time of war.

On the 11th [June, 1771] we run up the channel . . . at noon we were abreast of Dover, and about three came to an anchor in the Downs, and went ashore at Deal. --Cook (First Voyage).

4. pl. [From the adverb.] A state of depression; low state; abasement. [Colloq.]

It the downs of life too much outnumber the ups. --M. Arnold.

Down

Down\, adv. [For older adown, AS. ad?n, ad?ne, prop., from or off the hill. See 3d Down, and cf. Adown, and cf. Adown.]

1. In the direction of gravity or toward the center of the earth; toward or in a lower place or position; below; -- the opposite of up.

2. Hence, in many derived uses, as: (a) From a higher to a lower position, literally or figuratively; in a descending direction; from the top of an ascent; from an upright position; to the ground or floor; to or into a lower or an inferior condition; as, into a state of humility, disgrace, misery, and the like; into a state of rest; -- used with verbs indicating motion.

It will be rain to-night. Let it come down. --Shak.

I sit me down beside the hazel grove. --Tennyson.

And that drags down his life. --Tennyson.

There is not a more melancholy object in the learned world than a man who has written himself down. --Addison.

The French . . . shone down [i. e., outshone] the English. --Shak. (b) In a low or the lowest position, literally or figuratively; at the bottom of a decent; below the horizon; of the ground; in a condition of humility, dejection, misery, and the like; in a state of quiet.

I was down and out of breath. --Shak.

The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. --Shak.

He that is down needs fear no fall. --Bunyan.

3. From a remoter or higher antiquity.

Venerable men! you have come down to us from a former generation. --D. Webster.

4. From a greater to a less bulk, or from a thinner to a thicker consistence; as, to boil down in cookery, or in making decoctions. --Arbuthnot.

Note: Down is sometimes used elliptically, standing for go down, come down, tear down, take down, put down, haul down, pay down, and the like, especially in command or exclamation.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. --Shak.

If he be hungry more than wanton, bread alone will down. --Locke. Down is also used intensively; as, to be loaded down; to fall down; to hang down; to drop down; to pay down.

The temple of Her[`e] at Argos was burnt down. --Jowett (Thucyd. ). Down, as well as up, is sometimes used in a conventional sense; as, down East.

Persons in London say down to Scotland, etc., and those in the provinces, up to London. --Stormonth.

Down helm (Naut.), an order to the helmsman to put the helm to leeward.

Down on or upon (joined with a verb indicating motion, as go, come, pounce), to attack, implying the idea of threatening power.

Come down upon us with a mighty power. --Shak.

Down with, take down, throw down, put down; -- used in energetic command. "Down with the palace; fire it." --Dryden.

To be down on, to dislike and treat harshly. [Slang, U.S.]

To cry down. See under Cry, v. t.

To cut down. See under Cut, v. t.

Up and down, with rising and falling motion; to and fro; hither and thither; everywhere. "Let them wander up and down." --Ps. lix. 15.

Down

Down\, prep. [From Down, adv.]

1. In a descending direction along; from a higher to a lower place upon or within; at a lower place in or on; as, down a hill; down a well.

2. Hence: Towards the mouth of a river; towards the sea; as, to sail or swim down a stream; to sail down the sound.

Down the country, toward the sea, or toward the part where rivers discharge their waters into the ocean.

Down the sound, in the direction of the ebbing tide; toward the sea.

Down

Down\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Downed; p. pr. & vb. n. Downing.] To cause to go down; to make descend; to put down; to overthrow, as in wrestling; hence, to subdue; to bring down. [Archaic or Colloq.] "To down proud hearts." --Sir P. Sidney.

I remember how you downed Beauclerk and Hamilton, the wits, once at our house. --Madame D'Arblay.

Down

Down\, v. i. To go down; to descend. --Locke.

Down

Down\, a. 1. Downcast; as, a down look. [R.]

2. Downright; absolute; positive; as, a down denial. [Obs.] --Beau. & Fl.

3. Downward; going down; sloping; as, a down stroke; a down grade; a down train on a railway.

Down draught, a downward draft, as in a flue, chimney, shaft of a mine, etc.

Down in the mouth, chopfallen; dejected.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : down
Spanish: (hacia) abajo,
German: hinunter,
Japanese: 下へ
More Translations »

down


1. adj. Not operating. "The up escalator is down" is considered a humorous thing to say (unless of course you were expecting to use it), 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 confined to techies (e.g. boiler mechanics may speak of a boiler being down).
2. `go down' vi. 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' vt. 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 vt. sense. See crash; oppose up.
Jargon File 4.2.0
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down  (adv.)
O.E. ofdune "downwards," from dune "from the hill," dat. of dun "hill" (see down (n.2)). Used as a preposition since 1508. Sense of "depressed mentally" is attested from 1610. Slang sense of "aware, wide awake" is attested from 1812. Computer sense is from 1965. Down-and-out is from 1889, Amer.Eng., from situation of a beaten prizefighter; downcast in the sense of "dejected" is from 1633; downpour is recorded from 1811; downright was in M.E.; downtrodden in the figurative sense of "oppressed" is from 1595. Down home (adj.) is 1931, Amer.Eng.; downplay (v.) "de-emphasize" first attested 1968; down the hatch as a toast is from 1931; down to the wire is 1901, from horse-racing. Downtown first attested 1835, Amer.Eng. Download is a computerese word from 1980. Down time is from 1952. Down-to-earth (adj.) is from 1932. Downfall "ruin" is from c.1300. Down under "Australia and New Zealand" attested from 1886; Down East "Maine" is from 1825.

down  (n.1)
"soft feathers," c.1369, from O.N. dunn, perhaps ult. from PIE base *dheu- "to fly about (like dust), to whirl, shake."

down  (n.2)
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 1297.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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down
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.
[The Jargon File]
(1994-12-07)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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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.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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