Meaning of down in English | Powered by Free Dictionary API

down

/daʊn/

Phonetics

/daʊn/


noun

  • A negative aspect; a downer.

    Example: I love almost everything about my job. The only down is that I can't take Saturdays off.
  • A grudge (on someone).

  • An act of swallowing an entire drink at once.

  • A single play, from the time the ball is snapped (the start) to the time the whistle is blown (the end) when the ball is down, or is downed.

    Example: I bet after the third down, the kicker will replace the quarterback on the field.
  • (crosswords) A clue whose solution runs vertically in the grid.

    Example: I haven't solved 12 or 13 across, but I've got most of the downs.
  • A downstairs room of a two-story house.

    Example: She lives in a two-up two-down.
  • Down payment.


verb

  • To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down, to fell.

    Example: A single rifle shot downed the mighty beast.
  • To lower; to put (something) down.

    Example: The bell rang for lunch, and the workers downed their tools.
  • To defeat; to overpower.

  • To disparage, to put down.

  • To go or come down; to descend.

  • To drink or swallow, especially without stopping before the vessel containing the liquid is empty.

    Example: He downed an ale and ordered another.
  • To render (the ball) dead, typically by touching the ground while in possession.

    Example: He downed it at the seven-yard line.
  • (pocket billiards) To sink (a ball) into a hole or pocket.

    Example: He downed two balls on the break.

adjective

  • Sad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.

    Example: Mary seems very down since she split up with her boyfriend.
  • (normally in the combination 'down with') Sick or ill.

    Example: He is down with the flu.
  • At a lower level than before.

    Example: Prices are down.
  • Having a lower score than an opponent.

    Example: At 5–1 down, she produced a great comeback to win the set on a tiebreak.
  • (following the noun modified) Out.

    Example: Two down and one to go in the bottom of the ninth.
  • (with "on") Negative about, hostile to.

    Example: Ever since Nixon, I've been down on Republicans.
  • Comfortable with, accepting of, approachable.

    Example: Are you down to hang out at the mall, Jamal?
  • Inoperable; out of order; out of service.

    Example: The system is down.
  • Finished (of a task); defeated or dealt with (of an opponent or obstacle); elapsed (of time). Often coupled with to go (remaining).

    Example: Ten minutes down and nothing's happened yet.
  • (police, of a person) Wounded and unable to move normally, or killed.

    Example: There are three soldiers down and one walking wounded.
  • (of an aircraft) Mechanically failed, collided, shot down, or otherwise suddenly unable to fly.

    Example: We have a chopper down near the river.
  • Thoroughly practiced, learned or memorised; mastered. (Compare down pat.)

    Example: It's two weeks until opening night and our lines are still not down yet.
  • Downright; absolute; positive.

  • Accepted or respected, especially in the black or thug community.

    Example: What you mean, 'No'? Man, I thought you was down.
  • Facing downwards.


adverb

  • From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.

    Example: The cat jumped down from the table.
  • At a lower or further place or position along a set path.

    Example: His place is farther down the road.
  • South (as south is at the bottom of typical maps).

    Example: I went down to Miami for a conference.
  • Away from the city (regardless of direction).

    Example: He went down to Cavan.
  • At or towards any place that is visualised as 'down' by virtue of local features or local convention, or arbitrarily, irrespective of direction or elevation change.

    Example: She lives down by the park.
  • Towards the opponent's side (in ball-sports).

  • Into a state of non-operation.

    Example: The computer has been shut down.
  • To a subordinate or less prestigious position or rank.

    Example: After the incident, Kelly went down to Second Lieutenant.
  • In the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero.

  • (sentence substitute) Get down.

    Example: Down, boy! (such as to direct a dog to stand on four legs from two, or to sit from standing on four legs.)
  • (academia) Away from Oxford or Cambridge.

    Example: He's gone back down to Newcastle for Christmas.
  • From a remoter or higher antiquity.

    Example: These traditions have been handed down over generations.
  • So as to lessen quantity, level or intensity.

    Example: Please turn the music down!
  • So as to reduce size, weight or volume.

    Example: Boil the mixture down to a syrupy consistency.
  • From less to greater detail.

    Example: This spreadsheet lets you drill down to daily or even hourly sales figures.
  • So as to secure or compress something to the floor, ground, or other (usually horizontal) surface.

    Example: We need to nail down this carpet so people don't keep tripping over it.
  • (intensifier) Used with verbs to add emphasis to the action of the verb.

    Example: They tamped (down) the asphalt to get a better bond.
  • Used with verbs to indicate that the action of the verb was carried to some state of completion, rather than being of indefinite duration.

    Example: He boiled the mixture. / He boiled down the mixture.

preposition

  • From the higher end to the lower of.

    Example: The ball rolled down the hill.
  • From nouth to south of.

    Example: We sailed down the eastern seaboard.
  • From one end to another of (in any direction); along.

    Example: The bus went down the street.
  • At (a given place that is seen as removed from one's present location or other point of reference).

    Example: I'll see you later down the pub.

down

/daʊn/

Phonetics

/daʊn/


noun

  • (especially southern England) A hill, especially a chalk hill; rolling grassland

    Example: The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England.
  • (usually in the plural) A field, especially one used for horse racing.

  • (chiefly in the plural) A tract of poor, sandy, undulating or hilly land near the sea, covered with fine turf which serves chiefly for the grazing of sheep.


down

/daʊn/

Phonetics

/daʊn/


noun

  • Soft, fluffy immature feathers which grow on young birds. Used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets.

  • The pubescence of plants; the hairy crown or envelope of the seeds of certain plants, such as the thistle.

  • The soft hair of the face when beginning to appear.

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


verb

  • To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down.



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