down

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
down
    adv 1: spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower
           level or position; "don't fall down"; "rode the lift up
           and skied down"; "prices plunged downward" [syn: {down},
           {downwards}, {downward}, {downwardly}] [ant: {up},
           {upward}, {upwardly}, {upwards}]
    2: away from a more central or a more northerly place; "was sent
       down to work at the regional office"; "worked down on the
       farm"; "came down for the wedding"; "flew down to Florida"
       [ant: {up}]
    3: paid in cash at time of purchase; "put ten dollars down on
       the necklace"
    4: from an earlier time; "the story was passed down from father
       to son"
    5: to a lower intensity; "he slowly phased down the light until
       the stage was completely black" [ant: {up}]
    6: in an inactive or inoperative state; "the factory went down
       during the strike"; "the computer went down again"
    adj 1: being or moving lower in position or less in some value;
           "lay face down"; "the moon is down"; "our team is down by
           a run"; "down by a pawn"; "the stock market is down
           today" [ant: {up}]
    2: extending or moving from a higher to a lower place; "the down
       staircase"; "the downward course of the stream" [syn:
       {down(a)}, {downward(a)}]
    3: becoming progressively lower; "the down trend in the real
       estate market"
    4: being put out by a strikeout; "two down in the bottom of the
       ninth"
    5: understood perfectly; "had his algebra problems down" [syn:
       {down}, {down pat(p)}, {mastered}]
    6: lower than previously; "the market is depressed"; "prices are
       down" [syn: {depressed}, {down(p)}]
    7: shut; "the shades were down"
    8: not functioning (temporarily or permanently); "we can't work
       because the computer is down"
    9: filled with melancholy and despondency ; "gloomy at the
       thought of what he had to face"; "gloomy predictions"; "a
       gloomy silence"; "took a grim view of the economy"; "the
       darkening mood"; "lonely and blue in a strange city";
       "depressed by the loss of his job"; "a dispirited and
       resigned expression on her face"; "downcast after his
       defeat"; "feeling discouraged and downhearted" [syn:
       {gloomy}, {grim}, {blue}, {depressed}, {dispirited},
       {down(p)}, {downcast}, {downhearted}, {down in the mouth},
       {low}, {low-spirited}]
    n 1: soft fine feathers [syn: {down}, {down feather}]
    2: (American football) a complete play to advance the football;
       "you have four downs to gain ten yards"
    3: English physician who first described Down's syndrome
       (1828-1896) [syn: {Down}, {John L. H. Down}]
    4: (usually plural) a rolling treeless highland with little soil
    5: fine soft dense hair (as the fine short hair of cattle or
       deer or the wool of sheep or the undercoat of certain dogs)
       [syn: {down}, {pile}]
    v 1: drink down entirely; "He downed three martinis before
         dinner"; "She killed a bottle of brandy that night"; "They
         popped a few beer after work" [syn: {toss off}, {pop},
         {bolt down}, {belt down}, {pour down}, {down}, {drink
         down}, {kill}]
    2: eat immoderately; "Some people can down a pound of meat in
       the course of one meal" [syn: {devour}, {down}, {consume},
       {go through}]
    3: bring down or defeat (an opponent)
    4: shoot at and force to come down; "the enemy landed several of
       our aircraft" [syn: {down}, {shoot down}, {land}]
    5: cause to come or go down; "The policeman downed the heavily
       armed suspect"; "The mugger knocked down the old lady after
       she refused to hand over her wallet" [syn: {down}, {knock
       down}, {cut down}, {push down}, {pull down}]
    6: improve or perfect by pruning or polishing; "refine one's
       style of writing" [syn: {polish}, {refine}, {fine-tune},
       {down}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Down \Down\ (doun), v. t.
   To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down. [R.] --Young.
   [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Down \Down\, n. [OE. dun, doun, AS. d[=u]n; of Celtic origin;
   cf. Ir. d[=u]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.
      [1913 Webster]

            Hills afford prospects, as they must needs
            acknowledge who have been on the downs of Sussex.
                                                  --Ray.
      [1913 Webster]

            She went by dale, and she went by down. --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Seven thousand broad-tailed sheep grazed on his
            downs.                                --Sandys.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

            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).
      [1913 Webster]

   4. pl. [From the adverb.] A state of depression; low state;
      abasement. [Colloq.]
      [1913 Webster]

            It the downs of life too much outnumber the ups.
                                                  --M. Arnold.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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) (Zool.) 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.
          [1913 Webster]

                And the first down begins to shade his face.
                                                  --Dryden.
          [1913 Webster]

   2. That which is made of down, as a bed or pillow; that which
      affords ease and repose, like a bed of down
      [1913 Webster]

            When in the down I sink my head,
            Sleep, Death's twin brother, times my breath.
                                                  --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thou bosom softness, down of all my cares!
                                                  --Southern.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Down tree} (Bot.), a tree of Central America ({Ochroma
      Lagopus}), the seeds of which are enveloped in vegetable
      wool.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Down \Down\, adv. [For older adown, AS. ad[=u]n, ad[=u]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}.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
          [1913 Webster]

                It will be rain to-night. Let it come down.
                                                  --Shak.
          [1913 Webster]

                I sit me down beside the hazel grove.
                                                  --Tennyson.
          [1913 Webster]

                And that drags down his life.     --Tennyson.
          [1913 Webster]

                There is not a more melancholy object in the
                learned world than a man who has written himself
                down.                             --Addison.
          [1913 Webster]

                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 descent; below the
          horizon; on the ground; in a condition of humility,
          dejection, misery, and the like; in a state of quiet.
          [1913 Webster]

                I was down and out of breath.     --Shak.
          [1913 Webster]

                The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
                                                  --Shak.
          [1913 Webster]

                He that is down needs fear no fall. --Bunyan.
          [1913 Webster]

   3. From a remoter or higher antiquity.
      [1913 Webster]

            Venerable men! you have come down to us from a
            former generation.                    --D. Webster.
      [1913 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.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
         [1913 Webster]

               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.
         [1913 Webster]

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

   {Down on} or {Down upon} (joined with a verb indicating
      motion, as go, come, pounce), to attack, implying the idea
      of threatening power.
      [1913 Webster]

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

   {Down with}, take down, throw down, put down; -- used in
      energetic command, often by people aroused in crowds,
      referring to people, laws, buildings, etc.; as, down with
      the king! "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.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Hence: Towards the mouth of a river; towards the sea; as,
      to sail or swim down a stream; to sail down the sound.
      [1913 Webster]

   {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.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.
   [1913 Webster]

         I remember how you downed Beauclerk and Hamilton, the
         wits, once at our house.                 --Madame
                                                  D'Arblay.
   [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Down \Down\, v. i.
   To go down; to descend. --Locke.
   [1913 Webster]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Down \Down\, a.
   1. Downcast; as, a down look. [R.]
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Downright; absolute; positive; as, a down denial. [Obs.]
      --Beau. & Fl.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Downward; going down; sloping; as, a down stroke; a down
      grade; a down train on a railway.
      [1913 Webster]

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

   {Down in the mouth}, {Down at the mouth} chopfallen;
      dejected.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
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}.
    
from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
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}.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1994-12-07)
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
493 Moby Thesaurus words for "down":
      COD, Vandyke, actively, adown, ailing, air, alkali flat,
      all up with, alluvial plain, anthill, backset, bad, barrow, basin,
      beard, beat, beaten, beaver, bedfast, bedridden, below, below par,
      best, bested, blow down, blow over, blubber, blue, booked,
      bottomland, bowed-down, bowl down, bowl over, brae, breeze,
      bring down, bristles, bubble, bulldog, bushveld, butte, butter,
      campo, carry off, cascade, cash, cash down, cash on delivery,
      cast down, cataract, chaff, champaign, champaign country, check,
      chip, chop down, chute, clay, coastal plain, cobweb, collapse,
      collapsing, come down, comedown, completed, completely, concluded,
      confined, confounded, conquer, consume, cork, crash,
      critically ill, cushion, cut down, cut off, daintiness, dash down,
      dashed, debacle, deciduous, deck, declension, declination,
      declining, declivitous, decurrent, defeated, defluxion, dejected,
      delicacy, delta, depressant, depressed, depressing, depressive,
      descend, descendant, descending, descension, descent, desert,
      despairing, despondent, desponding, destroy, devour, digest,
      dip down, discomfited, discomfiture, discouraged, discouraging,
      disheartened, disheartening, dispatch, dispirited, dispiriting,
      dispose of, disregard, documented, done, done for, done in, dough,
      down, down south, downbend, downcast, downcome, downcurve,
      downfall, downfalling, downflow, downgoing, downgrade, downhearted,
      downhill, downiness, downline, downpour, downright, downrush,
      downs, downsinking, downstairs, downstream, downstreet, downtown,
      downtrend, downturn, downward, downward trend, downwards, downwith,
      drooping, droopy, drop, drop down, drop off, dropping, drumlin,
      dune, dust, earlier, earnestly, earthward, eat, eat up, eiderdown,
      ended, enrolled, entered, ether, faint, faintish, fairy, fall,
      fall down, fall off, fallen, falling, feather, feather bed,
      feathers, feeling awful, feeling faint, feeling low,
      feeling something terrible, fell, fetch down, filed, filminess,
      fine-grainedness, fineness, finish, finished, fixed, flat,
      flat country, flatland, flats, flatten, fleece, floor, floored,
      floss, flue, fluff, fluffiness, foam, foothills, for real, froth,
      fully, fur, fuzz, fuzziness, get away with, get down, go down,
      go downhill, goatee, gossamer, gossameriness, grass veld,
      grassland, gravitate, gravitation, ground, heartless, heath,
      hew down, hill, hillock, hipped, hors de combat, hospitalized,
      hummock, hurdle, hypochondriac, hypochondriacal, ignore, ill,
      imperial, in childbed, in danger, in hospital, in low spirits,
      in the depths, in the doldrums, in the dumps, inclination, indexed,
      indisposed, inferior, ingest, inscribed, invalided, kapok, knob,
      knock down, knoll, laid low, laid up, lambasted, lande,
      languishing, lathered, lay level, lay low, lay out, legal, level,
      lick, licked, lint, liquidate, llano, logged, lose altitude, low,
      low-spirited, lower, lowest, lowland, lowlands, lunar mare, mare,
      master, mesa, mesilla, minuted, molehill, money down, monticle,
      monticule, moor, moorland, mortally ill, mote, mound, mow down,
      nether, not quite right, of record, off, off-color, official,
      on call, on demand, on file, on record, on the books,
      on the descendant, on the downgrade, on the skids, open country,
      oppressive, out of sorts, outdo, outdone, overborne, overcome,
      overmastered, overmatched, overpowered, overridden, overthrown,
      overturned, overwhelmed, pampa, pampas, panicked, parachute,
      pay-as-you-go, peach fuzz, peneplain, pessimistic, pile, pillow,
      pining, pipe, pitch, plain, plains, plateau, playa, plummet,
      plummeting, plunge, plunging, plush, pocket, pocket the affront,
      posted, pounce, pour down, prairie, precipitate, prostrate,
      pubescence, pudding, puff, pull down, put away, put to rout, putty,
      rain, rapids, rase, raze, recorded, refinement, registered,
      reversal, reverse, reverse of fortune, rocky, routed, rubber,
      ruined, sagging, salt flat, salt marsh, salt pan, sand dune, satin,
      satininess, savanna, scattered, scrag, sebkha, seedy,
      send headlong, setback, setting, settled, severe check, sick,
      sick abed, sick unto death, sickish, side whiskers, silenced, silk,
      silkiness, sinking, skinned, skinned alive, slack, sluggish,
      smoothness, softness, spiritless, sponge, spread-eagle, spume,
      stampeded, steppe, stomach, stoop, straw, strictly cash, stubble,
      subdued, subjacent, submerging, subsiding, suicidal, supinate,
      surmount, surround, swallow, swallow an insult, swansdown, swell,
      swoop, table, tableland, take, take down, take in, take off,
      taken ill, terminated, thistledown, through, through-and-through,
      throw, throw down, throwback, topple, tottering, tree veld,
      trend downward, trimmed, trip, trounced, tuck in, tuft, tumble,
      tumbledown, tundra, turn aside provocation, under,
      under the weather, undone, unwell, upland, upset, vega, veld,
      velvet, velvetiness, waterfall, wax, weald, weary of life,
      whack down, whelmed, whipped, whiskers, wide-open spaces,
      woebegone, wold, wool, world-weary, worst, worsted, written down,
      zephyr

    

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