down

Facing downwards.

Adjective

  1. Facing downwards.
    • Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is down.
    • You win a dollar if the down side of the card is different to the up side; otherwise, you lose a dollar. - 1993, Finite Mathematics: Overrun Edition, Calvert, page 251:
    • Define the event F as the event that the down face of the die is 1 or 4. - 2004, Robert M. Gray, Lee D. Davisson, An Introduction to Statistical Signal Processing, page 170:
  2. At a lower level than before.
    • The stock market is down.
    • Prices are down.

    Antonyms: up

  3. Sad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low.
    • Mary seems very down since she split up with her boyfriend.
    • Been down so long it seems like up to me
    • We get down, down, down / We feel sorry for ourselves / We get down, down, down / We all need somebody's help - 2011, Rachel Platten, “Overwhelmed”, in Be Here:

    Synonyms: miserable sorrowful atrabiliary atrabilious blitheless dispirited blue bummed out chapfallen cheerless chopfallen crestfallen cut up damp dejected depressed despondent disgruntled disconsolate disheartened dismal doleful dolesome down

    Antonyms: up

  4. Sick, wounded, or damaged:
    • He is down with the flu.

    1. (normally in the combination 'down with') Sick or ill.

    2. (not comparable, military, law enforcement, slang, of a person) Wounded and unable to move normally, or killed.

      • We have an officer down outside the suspect's house.
      • There are three soldiers down and one walking wounded.

    3. (veterinary medicine, of a cow) Stranded in a recumbent position; unable to stand.

      • a down cow

      Synonyms: downer

    4. (not comparable, military, aviation, slang, of an aircraft) Mechanically failed, collided, shot down, or otherwise suddenly unable to fly.

      • We have a chopper down near the river.

    5. (not comparable) Inoperable; out of order; out of service.

      • The system is down.

      Antonyms: up

  5. In prison.
    • I'm a TS who has been down for over 5 years and will be going up for parole in the next 1 to 3 years. - 1988 February 7, Crystal Dawn Boyd, “Let's Start Caring About Ourselves”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number...
  6. Having a lower score than an opponent.
    • They are down by 3–0 with just 5 minutes to play.
    • He was down by a bishop and a pawn after 15 moves.
    • At 5–1 down, she produced a great comeback to win the set on a tiebreak.

    Antonyms: up

  7. Out.
    • Two down and one to go in the bottom of the ninth.
  8. Negative about; hostile to.
    • She's been down on clams since a bad case of food poisoning; she's lost her appetite for them.
    • The prisoners here are down on gays (they bring the outside in here with them when they come in). I sometimes think they hate us because they fear to be us. - 1983 August 13, Dennis Stinson, “Personal advertisement”, in...
  9. Comfortable [with]; accepting [of]; okay [with].
    • Near-synonyms: feel like, would like, fancy
    • He's chill enough; he'd probably be totally down with it.
    • Asker: Are you down to hang out at the mall? / Answerer: Yeah, as long as you're down with helping me pick a phone.

    Synonyms: feel like would like fancy

  10. Accepted, respected, or loyally participating in the (thug) community.
    • What you mean, 'No'? Man, I thought you was down.
    • my homies is down so don't arouse my anger - 1994, “Gangsta's Paradise”, Coolio (lyrics):
    • Nigga you ain't down. You heard what Nate said. If you ain't down for the dead homie you sure ain't down for us. - 1995, Colors - Volume 4, page 28:
  11. Finished (of a task); defeated or dealt with (of an opponent or obstacle); elapsed (of time). Often coupled with to go (remaining).
    • Two down and three to go.
    • Ten minutes down and nothing's happened yet.
  12. Thoroughly practiced, learned or memorised; mastered. (Compare down pat.)
    • It's two weeks until opening night and our lines are still not down yet.
    • I stay with Chloe the longest. When she's not hanging out at the beach parties, she lives in a Japanese garden complete with an arched bridge spanning a pond filled with koi of varying sizes and shapes. Reeds shoot out...

Origin

Etymology tree Old English of- Proto-Germanic *dūnaz? Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *duh₂-nós? Proto-Celtic *dūnomder.? Proto-West Germanic *dūnā Old English dūne Old English ofdūne Old English adūne Old English dūne Middle English doun English down From Middle English doun, doune (“down”), from Old English dūne (“down”), aphetic form of adūne (“down, downward”), from earlier ofdūne (“down”, literally “off the hill”), from of (“of, off of”) + dūn (“hill, mount, dune, down”). More at Etymology 2 below. For the development from directional phrases to prepositions, compare Old Frisian dene (“down”, adverb, literally “(to the) floor”), Middle Low German dāle (“down, downwards”, literally “(in/to the) dale/valley”), whence German Low German dal (“down”). Compare also Saterland Frisian deel (“down”, literally “to/into the dale”), West Frisian del...

Forms

more down most down doon

Derived

down bad down but not out downtime

Adverb

  1. From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.
    • The cat jumped down from the table.
    • She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man. - 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter...
    • To her humiliation Jessamy found there were tears trickling down her cheeks. - 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, year_published edition, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 48:
  2. To or towards what is considered the bottom of something, irrespective of whether this is presently physically lower.
    • Go down to the bottom of the page.
    • As I lay on my back, a pain shot down from my neck to my waist.
  3. At a lower or further place or position along a set path.
    • His place is farther down the road.
    • The company was well down the path to bankruptcy.
    • It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. He wore shepherd's plaid trousers and the swallow-tail coat of the day, with a figured muslin cravat wound about...
  4. To the south (as south is at the bottom of typical maps).
    • I went down to Miami for a conference.
  5. Away from the city (regardless of direction).
    • He went down to Cavan.
    • down on the farm
    • down to the country
  6. 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.
    • She lives down by the park.

    Coordinate Terms: over

  7. Forward, straight ahead.
    • At the first intersection turn left and walk down, then turn right.
  8. In the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero.
  9. Away from Oxford or Cambridge.
    • He's gone back down to Newcastle for Christmas.
  10. To a subordinate or less prestigious position or rank.
    • Smith was sent down to the minors to work on his batting.
    • After the incident, Kelly went down to Second Lieutenant.
  11. Towards the opponent's side (in ball-sports).
    • The charity match, played Sunday afternoon at Cirencester Park Polo Club in Gloucestershire, reached a dramatic climax when Prince Harry tore down the pitch but failed to score what was described as an “open goal”. -...
    • By moving further down the pitch, the batsman lengthens the distance between the ball and the stumps. - 2005 September 5, “LBW explained”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
  12. So as to lessen quantity, level or intensity.
    • You need to tone down the rhetoric.
    • Please turn the music down!

Forms

further down farther down furthest down farthest down doon

Antonyms

up across back backwards rearwards

Noun Entry 3

  1. A negative aspect; a downer, a downside.
    • I love almost everything about my job. The only down is that I can't take Saturdays off.
  2. A grudge (on someone).
    • She had a down on me. I don't know what for, I'm sure; because I never said a word. - 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 10:
  3. A downer, depressant.
    • I am on drugs that I don't need to be on. They feel if I'm on a lot of downs, then I won't complain about my prison life - 1984 December 29, Gena Spero, “Innocent Lesbian In Prison”, in Gay Community News, volume 12,...
  4. An act of swallowing an entire drink at once.
  5. 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.
    • I bet after the third down, the kicker will replace the quarterback on the field.
  6. A clue whose solution runs vertically in the grid.
    • I haven't solved 12 or 13 across, but I've got most of the downs.
  7. The shift or period of time during which a dealer manages a given table before rotating to the next table at a casino or cardroom, which is often 30 minutes.
  8. A downstairs room of a two-story house.
    • She lives in a two-up two-down.
  9. Down payment.
  10. The lightest quark with a charge number of −¹⁄₃.

Forms

downs doon

Derived

amp down antidown a whisper down the lane backdown bag down ball down bar down Barwon Downs be down with belt down bid down blaze down boildown bolt down bone down bottle down bouncedown bowl down Branton break-down breast down bringdown bring down on bring down the curtain

Noun Entry 4

  1. Soft, fluffy immature feathers which grow on young birds. Used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets.
  2. The pubescence of plants; the hairy crown or envelope of the seeds of certain plants, such as the thistle.
    • Down or Cotton-Thiſtle. This hath many large Leaves lying on the Ground, ſomewhat cut in, and as it were crumpled on the Edges, of a green Colour on the upper ſide, but covered with long hairy Wool or Cottony Down, ſet...
    • No candle should light it, neither should any flower adorn it, save for several dried stalks of old and withered thistles, their heads pale with silken down, held in a common glass jar. - 1998, Valerie Worth, The...
  3. The soft hair of the face when beginning to appear.
    • But love him as he was, when youthful Grace, And the firſt Down began to ſhade his face - 1717, John Dryden, The Dramatick Works of John Dryden, Esq., volume the fourth, London: Jacob Tonson, →OCLC, page 136:
    • The servant to whom he put this question was a young fellow with chubby cheeks, small, dull eyes, and a round chin, covered with a colorless down. - 1867, Ivan Sergheïevitch Turgenef [i.e., Ivan Turgenev], chapter I, in...
  4. That which is made of down, as a bed or pillow; that which affords ease and repose, like a bed of down.
    • Thou boſom Softneſs! Down of all my Cares! I cou'd recline my thoughts upon this Breaſt To a forgetfulneſs of all my Griefs, And yet be happy: but it wonnot be. - 1696, Tho[mas] Southerne, Oroonoko: A Tragedy […],...
    • When in the down I sink my head, Sleep, Death's twin brother, times my breath. - 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “(please specify |part=Prologue or Epilogue, or |canto=I to CXXIX)”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon,...

Origin

Etymology tree Old English of- Proto-Germanic *dūnaz? Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *duh₂-nós? Proto-Celtic *dūnomder.? Proto-West Germanic *dūnā Old English dūne Old English ofdūne Old English adūne Old English dūne Middle English doun English down From Middle English doun, from Old Norse dúnn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz (“down”), which is related to *dauniz (“(pleasant) smell”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰowh₂-nis, from the root *dʰewh₂-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Duune (“fluff, down”), German Daune (“down”) and Danish dun (“down”).

Forms

downs doon

Derived

down feather down jacket powder-down feather powder-down patch

Noun Australia, Southern England

  1. A hill; in England, especially a chalk hill.
    • We went for a walk over the downs.
    • The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England.
    • And with each end of thy blue bow dost crown My bosky acres and my unshrubb'd down - 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First...
  2. A field, especially one used for horse racing.
  3. A tract of poor, sandy, undulating or hilly land near the sea, covered with fine turf which serves chiefly for the grazing of sheep.
    • Seven thousand broad-taild Sheepe gras'd on his Downes; - 1636, George Sandys, “A Paraphrase Vpon Iob”, in Early English Books:

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *dūnaz? Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *duh₂-nós? Proto-Celtic *dūnomder.? Proto-West Germanic *dūnā Old English dūn Middle English doune English down From Middle English doune, from Old English dūn, from Proto-West Germanic *dūn (“sandhill, dune”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *dūnaz, *dūnǭ (“pile, heap”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze, dust”). Alternatively, perhaps borrowed from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“hill; hillfort”) (compare Welsh din (“city, fort, stronghold”), Irish dún (“hill, fort”)), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to finish, come full circle”). Cognate with West Frisian dún (“dune, sandhill”), Dutch duin (“dune, sandhill”), German Düne (“dune”). More at town; akin to dune. Doublet of Down.

Forms

downs doon

Derived

Abingdon Downs Alton Downs Ashley Down Barwon Downs Bedminster Down Bridgeman Downs Bulloo Downs Carnon Downs Carrum Downs Christie Downs Clifton Down Crawley Down Darling Downs downland Downside Dundee Downs Durham Downs Dutson Downs East Down Elizabeth Downs Emery Down Emu Downs Epsom Downs Frome Downs

Preposition

  1. From the higher end to the lower of.
    • The ball rolled down the hill.
    • We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith. - 1897 December...
  2. From north to south of.
    • We sailed down the eastern seaboard.
  3. Towards the mouth of (a river); in the direction of flow of.
    • In this game we float sticks down the river.
  4. From one end to another of (in any direction); along.
    • The bus went down the street.
    • They walked down the beach holding hands.
  5. At (a given place that is seen as removed from one's present location or other point of reference).
    • I'll see you later down the pub.
  6. To (a given place that is seen as removed from one's present location or other point of reference).
    • I'm going down the shops.

Forms

doon

Antonyms

up

Derived

like kicking dead whales down the beach like throwing a sausage down a hallway sell down the river throw one's hotdog down someone's hallway

Verb Entry 7

  1. To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down; to fell.
    • The storm downed several old trees along the highway.
    • A single rifle shot downed the mighty beast.

    1. (transitive) Specifically, to cause (something in the air) to fall to the ground; to bring down (with a missile etc.).

      • The helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile.
  2. To lower; to put (something) down.
    • The bell rang for lunch, and the workers downed their tools.
  3. To defeat; to overpower.
    • To down proud hearts that would not willing die. - 1725, Philip Sidney, The works of the Honourable Sir Philip Sidney, kt., in prose and verse, London: W. Innys, →OCLC, page 156:
  4. To disparage; to put down.
    • ‘I remember how you downed Beauclerk and Hamilton, the Wits, once at our House, – when they talked of Ghosts.’ - 1779, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin, published 2001, page 141:
    • Now you have a social worker who downs women who are gay! […] I have met a woman and fell in love with her and I still get humiliated and discriminated against because he (social worker) is against homosexuality and is...
  5. To go or come down; to descend.
    • ...that is, that the trade of the world is too little for us two, therefore one must down. - 1933, Arthur Bryant, quoting Samuel Pepys (1664, February 2nd), Samuel Pepys: The Man in the Making, New York: Macmillan,...
  6. To drink or swallow, especially without stopping before the vessel containing the liquid is empty.
    • He downed an ale and ordered another.
    • After watching people downing drink on the train, I am in need of slaking my own thirst, so I pop into the station's Centurion Bar. - 2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL,...
  7. To render (the ball) dead, typically by touching the ground while in possession.
    • He downed it at the seven-yard line.
  8. To sink (a ball) into a hole or pocket.
    • He downed two balls on the break.

Forms

downs downing downed doon

Derived

double down down tools triple down

Verb Entry 8

  1. To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down.
    • What pain to quit the world, just made their own, Their nest so deeply downed, and built so high ! - 1742, Edward Young, The Complaint: or, Night-thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, London: R. Dodsley, →OCLC, page...

Forms

downs downing downed doon