/ daʊn; NAmE / adverb , preposition , verb , adjective , noun
■ adverb
HELP NOTE : For the special uses of down in phrasal verbs, look at the entries for the verbs. For example climb down is in the phrasal verb section at climb .
1.
to or at a lower place or position :
She jumped down off the chair.
He looked down at her.
We watched as the sun went down.
She bent down to pick up her glove.
Mary's not down yet (= she is still upstairs) .
The baby can't keep any food down (= in her body) .
2.
from a standing or vertical position to a sitting or horizontal one :
Please sit down.
He had to go and lie down for a while.
3.
at a lower level or rate :
Prices have gone down recently.
We're already two goals down (= the other team has two goals more) .
4.
used to show that the amount or strength of sth is lower, or that there is less activity :
Turn the music down!
The class settled down and she began the lesson.
5.
( in a crossword ) reading from top to bottom, not from side to side :
I can't do 3 down.
6.
to or in the south of a country :
They flew down to Texas.
Houses are more expensive down south.
7.
on paper; on a list :
Did you get that down?
I always write everything down.
Have you got me down for the trip?
8.
used to show the limits in a range or an order :
Everyone will be there, from the Principal down.
9.
having lost the amount of money mentioned :
At the end of the day we were £20 down.
10.
if you pay an amount of money down , you pay that to start with, and the rest later
11.
( informal ) used to say how far you have got in a list of things you have to do :
Well, I've seen six apartments so far. That's six down and four to go!
12.
( informal ) to or at a local place such as a shop / store, pub, etc. :
I'm just going down to the post office.
I saw him down at the shops.
HELP NOTE : In informal British English, to and at are often left out after down in this sense:
He's gone down the shops.
•
IDIOMS
- be down to sb
- be down to sb/sth
- be down to sth
- be / go down with sth
- down through sth
- down under
- down with sb/sth
—more at man noun
■ preposition
1.
from a high or higher point on sth to a lower one :
The stone rolled down the hill.
Tears ran down her face.
Her hair hung down her back to her waist.
2.
along; towards the direction in which you are facing :
He lives just down the street.
Go down the road till you reach the traffic lights.
There's a bridge a mile down the river from here.
3.
all through a period of time :
an exhibition of costumes down the ages (= from all periods of history)
■ verb [ vn ] ( informal )
1.
to finish a drink or eat sth quickly :
We downed our coffees and left.
2.
to force sb/sth down to the ground :
to down a plane
•
IDIOMS
- down tools
■ adjective [ not before noun ]
1.
( informal ) sad or depressed :
I feel a bit down today.
2.
( of a computer or computer system ) not working :
The system was down all morning.
—see also downtime
•
IDIOMS
see hit verb , kick verb , luck noun , mouth noun
■ noun
—see also downs
1.
[ U ] the very fine soft feathers of a bird :
duck down
2.
[ U ] fine soft hair
—see also downy
3.
[ C ] ( in American football ) one of a series of four chances to carry the ball forward ten yards that a team is allowed. These series continue until the team loses the ball or fails to go forward ten yards in four downs.
•
IDIOMS
- have a down on sb/sth
—more at up noun
••
WORD ORIGIN
adverb and adjective verb and preposition Old English dūn , dūne , shortened from adūne downward , from the phrase of dūne off the hill .
noun Middle English : from Old Norse dúnn .