down

adverb further down · farther down · furthest down · farthest down · doon

1. comparable, not comparable, usually From a higher position to a lower one; downwards. The cat jumped down from the table.
2. not comparable, usually 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.
3. comparable, not comparable, usually At a lower or further place or position along a set path. His place is farther down the road.
4. not comparable, usually To the south (as south is at the bottom of typical maps). I went down to Miami for a conference.
5. not comparable, usually Away from the city (regardless of direction). He went down to Cavan.
6. not comparable, usually 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.
7. not comparable, usually Forward, straight ahead. At the first intersection turn left and walk down, then turn right.
8. not comparable, usually In the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero.
9. UK, dated, not comparable, usually Away from Oxford or Cambridge. He's gone back down to Newcastle for Christmas.
10. not comparable, usually To a subordinate or less prestigious position or rank. Smith was sent down to the minors to work on his batting.
11. not comparable, usually 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”.
12. not comparable, usually So as to lessen quantity, level or intensity. You need to tone down the rhetoric.
13. not comparable, usually So as to reduce size, weight or volume. Trim the stick down to a length of about twelve inches.
14. not comparable, usually From less to greater detail. This spreadsheet lets you drill down to daily or even hourly sales figures.
15. not comparable, usually From a remoter or higher antiquity. These traditions have been handed down over generations.
16. not comparable, usually Into a state of non-operation. The computer has been shut down.
17. not comparable, usually So as to secure or compress something to the floor, ground, or other (usually horizontal) surface. We need to nail down this carpet so people don't keep tripping over it.
18. not comparable, usually On paper (or in a durable record). You need to write down what happened while it's still fresh in your mind.
19. not comparable, usually So as to be cowed into silence. The speaker was heckled and shouted down.
20. not comparable, usually As a down payment. We put £100 down on a new sofa.
21. not comparable, usually, in relation to a numbered clued word In a downwards direction; vertically. I'm stuck on 11 down.
22. not comparable, usually Used with verbs to indicate that the action of the verb was carried to some state of completion, permanence, or success rather than being of indefinite duration. He closed operations. / He closed down operations.
23. imperative, not comparable, usually Get down. Down, boy! (such as to direct a dog to stand on four legs from two, or to sit from standing on four legs.)

Opposite: up, across, back, backwards, rearwards

preposition doon

1. From the higher end to the lower of. The ball rolled down the hill.
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.
5. Ireland, UK 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. Ireland, UK 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.

Opposite: up

adjective more down · most down · doon

1. predicative Facing downwards. Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is down.
2. predicative At a lower level than before. The stock market is down.

   Opposite: up

3. informal, predicative Sad, unhappy, depressed, feeling low. Mary seems very down since she split up with her boyfriend.

   Similar: miserable, sorrowful, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue, bummed out, chapfallen, cheerless, chopfallen, crestfallen · Opposite: up

4. predicative, normally in the combination 'down with' Sick or ill. He is down with the flu.
5. not comparable, predicative, slang, of a person Wounded and unable to move normally, or killed. We have an officer down outside the suspect's house.
6. predicative, of a cow Stranded in a recumbent position; unable to stand. a down cow

   Similar: downer

7. not comparable, predicative, slang, of an aircraft Mechanically failed, collided, shot down, or otherwise suddenly unable to fly. We have a chopper down near the river.
8. not comparable, predicative Inoperable; out of order; out of service. The system is down.

   Opposite: up

9. predicative, slang 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.
10. predicative Having a lower score than an opponent. They are down by 3–0 with just 5 minutes to play.

    Opposite: up

11. colloquial, predicative Out. Two down and one to go in the bottom of the ninth.
12. colloquial, predicative, with "on" Negative about; hostile to. She's been down on clams since a bad case of food poisoning; she's lost her appetite for them.
13. Canada, US, predicative, slang Comfortable [with]; accepting [of]; okay [with]. Near-synonyms: feel like, would like, fancy

    Similar: feel like, would like, fancy

14. predicative, slang Accepted, respected, or loyally participating in the (thug) community. What you mean, 'No'? Man, I thought you was down.
15. predicative 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.
16. predicative Thoroughly practiced, learned or memorised; mastered. (Compare down pat.) It's two weeks until opening night and our lines are still not down yet.
17. informal, predicative, of a person Settled, having one's life or affairs in order. I don't feel at all past 18... time stopped for me when I turned 18. But 22... shit, a person should be somewhat down by then.
18. obsolete, predicative Downright; absolute; positive. This, he muſt give me leave to tell him, is an abſolute, right down—falſehood.
19. predicative, of a tree Fallen or felled. Left again at 1.05 p.m., and for two miles it was over rolling county with easy grades, but a good deal of down timber.
20. predicative, of a train Travelling in the direction leading away from the principal terminus, away from milepost zero. The down train leaves at 10:05.

    Opposite: up

verb downs · downing · downed · doon

1. predicative, transitive To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down; to fell. The storm downed several old trees along the highway.
2. predicative, 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.
3. predicative, transitive To lower; to put (something) down. The bell rang for lunch, and the workers downed their tools.
4. figuratively, predicative, transitive To defeat; to overpower. To down proud hearts that would not willing die.
5. colloquial, predicative, transitive To disparage; to put down. ‘I remember how you downed Beauclerk and Hamilton, the Wits, once at our House, – when they talked of Ghosts.’
6. intransitive, obsolete, predicative, rare 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.
7. colloquial, predicative, transitive To drink or swallow, especially without stopping before the vessel containing the liquid is empty. He downed an ale and ordered another.
8. Canadian, predicative, transitive To render (the ball) dead, typically by touching the ground while in possession. He downed it at the seven-yard line.
9. predicative, transitive To sink (a ball) into a hole or pocket. He downed two balls on the break.

noun downs · doon

1. predicative 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. dated, predicative 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.
3. predicative 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
4. predicative An act of swallowing an entire drink at once.
5. predicative 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. predicative 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. predicative 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. predicative A downstairs room of a two-story house. She lives in a two-up two-down.
9. predicative Down payment.
10. predicative The lightest quark with a charge number of −¹⁄₃.

noun downs · doon

1. Australia, Southern England, also, countable, especially, often A hill; in England, especially a chalk hill. We went for a walk over the downs.
2. countable, plural normally, predicative, uncountable A field, especially one used for horse racing.
3. UK, countable, in plural, predicative, uncountable 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;

noun downs · doon

1. countable, predicative, uncountable Soft, fluffy immature feathers which grow on young birds. Used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets.
2. countable, predicative, uncountable 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 with moſt ſharp and cruel pricks
3. countable, predicative, uncountable 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
4. countable, predicative, uncountable 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.

verb downs · downing · downed · doon

1. predicative, transitive 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 !

proper noun

1. One of the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland, usually known as County Down.
2. A surname.