down1 (down)

adverb

• 1towards or in a lower place or position, especially to or on the ground or another surface: she looked down the sun started to go down he put his glass down he swung the axe to chop down the tree
• at or to a specified distance below: you can plainly see the bottom 35 feet down
• downstairs: I went down to put the kettle on
• expressing movement or position away from the north: they’re living down south
• to or at a place perceived as lower (often expressing casualness or lack of hurry): I’d rather be down at the villa I’m going down to the pub
• British away from the capital or major city: there are eight trains a day, four up and four down
• British away from a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge: he was down from Oxford
• (with reference to food or drink swallowed) in or into the stomach: she couldn’t keep anything down
• so as to lie or be fixed flush or flat: she stuck down a Christmas label
• [as exclamation] used as a command to a person or animal to sit or lie down: down, boy!
• referring to a crossword answer which reads vertically: how many letters in fifteen down?

• 2to or at a lower level of intensity, volume, or activity: keep the noise down the panic was dying down at night it would cool down
• to or at a lower price, value, or rank: output was down by 20 per cent soup is down from 59p to 49p
• to a finer consistency, a smaller amount or size, or a simpler or more basic state: I must slim down a bit a formal statement that can’t be edited down thin down an oil-based paint with spirits
• from an earlier to a later point in time or order: buildings in England down to 1540 everyone, from the President down to the bloke selling hot dogs, wants her dead

• 3in or into a weaker or worse position, mood, or condition: the scandal brought down the government he was down with the flu
• losing or at a disadvantage by a specified amount: United were 3-0 down
• used to express progress through a series of tasks or items: one down and only six more to go
• (of a computer system) out of action or unavailable for use: the system went down yesterday
• (down with ——) shouted to express strong dislike of a specified person or thing: crowds chanted ‘Down with America!’

• 4in or into writing: Graham noted the numbers down carefully taking down notes
• on or on to a list, schedule, or record: I’ll put you down for the evening shift

• 5(with reference to partial payment of a sum of money) made initially or on the spot: pay £5 down and the rest at the end of the month

• 6(of sailing) with the current or the wind.
• (of a ship’s helm) moved round to leeward so that the rudder is to windward.

• 7 American Football (of the ball or a player in possession) not in play, typically through progress being stopped.

preposition

• 1from a higher to a lower point of (something): up and down the stairs tears streaming down her face
• at or to the part of (a river or stream) that is nearer the sea: a dozen miles or so down the Thames
• moving or at a point further along the course of (something): he lived down the street I wandered down the road
• informal at or to (a place): she was tired of going down the pub every night

• 2throughout (a period of time): astrologers down the ages

adjective

• 1 [attributive] directed or moving towards a lower place or position: the down escalator click on the down arrow
• relating to or denoting trains travelling away from the main terminus: we travelled on the first down train
• Physics denoting a flavour of quark having a charge of − 1/ 3. Protons and neutrons are thought to be composed of combinations of up and down quarks.

• 2 [predic.] unhappy; depressed: he’s been so down lately

• 3 [predic.] (of a computer system) temporarily out of action or unavailable: sorry, but the computer’s down

• 4 [predic.] US black slang supporting or going along with someone or something: you got to be down with me
• aware of and following the latest fashion: a seriously down, hip-hop homie

verb

• 1knock or bring to the ground: 175 enemy aircraft had been downed he struck Slater on the face, downing him

• 2consume (something, typically a drink): he downed five pints of cider
• Golf sink (a putt): he downed a 20-foot putt for victory

noun

• 1 American Football a chance for a team to advance the ball, ending when the ball carrier is tackled or the ball becomes out of play. A team must advance at least ten yards in a series of four downs in order to keep possession.

• 2 (downs) informal unwelcome experiences or events: there had been more downs than ups during his years at Ferrari

• 3 informal a feeling or period of unhappiness or depression: everyone gets their downs, their depressive periods