Down | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Down, n.

noun

[L. Ger. dune, dun, Icel. dān, Sw. dun, Dan. duun, N. H. Ger. daune, O. H. Ger. dāni, down, D. dons.]

Sense 1. Fine, soft, hairy outgrowth from the skin or surface of animals or plants, not matted and fleecy like wool; especially, (a.) The close, hairy covering of birds, under the feathers, particularly on the breasts of water-birds, as the duck and swan. (b.) 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.

And the first down begins to shade his face. Dryden.

Sense 2. A place of repose; that which furnishes rest or quiet.

Thou bosom softness, down of all my care! Southern.

Down, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. To cover, line, or stuff with down. Young.

Down, n.

noun

n. [A-S. dūn, D. duin, Ger. düne, Fr. dune, It., Sp., & Pg. duna, from Ir. dan, hill, fortified hill, Gael. dùn, heap, hillock, hill, W. dìn, a fortified hill or mount.]

Sense 1. A bank or rounded hillock of sand thrown up by the wind along or near the shore;— usually in the plural.

Hills afford pleasant prospects, as they needs acknowledge who have been on the downs of Sussex. Ray.

Sense 2. A tract of bare, sandy, level, and barren land, chiefly used for pasturing sheep. [Eng.]

Seven thousand broad-tailed sheep grazed on his downs. Sandys.

Sense 3. (pl.) A road for shipping in the English Channel, near Deal, employed as a naval rendezvous in time of war.

Sense 4. [From the adverb.] A state of depression; decline; low state; abasement; failure; as, ups and downs. [Colloq.]

Down, prep.

preposition

[A-S. adan, adane, dane, from dan, mountain, hill. See supra.]

In a descending direction along; from higher to lower upon or within; as, down a hill; down a well.
Toward the mouth of a river, or toward the place where water is discharged into the ocean or a lake; as, to sail or swim down a stream; to sail down the sound.

His gory visage down the stream was sent, Down the swift Hebrus to the Lesbian shore. Milton. 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 ebb-tide; toward the sea.

Down, adv.

adverb

adv. 1. In a descending direction; tending from a higher to a lower place; in the direction of gravity, or toward the center of the earth.

Sense 2. From a higher to a lower condition; into humility, disgrace, misery, or the like.

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

Sense 3. From a remoter or higher antiquity.

Sense 4. From a greater to a less bulk; as, to boil down in cookery, or in making decoctions. Arbuthnot.

Sense 5. At the bottom of a descent; in a low position or condition; on the ground; prostrate; supine;—said of the descent of the heavenly bodies below the horizon, of the position of a person fallen, held, or lying on the ground, and the like.

The moon is down; I have not heard the clock, And she goes down at twelve. Shak.

Down sinks the giant with a thundering sound. Dryden.

Sense 6. In humility, dejection, misery, and the like.

The observed of all observers quite, quite down. Shak.

Down is often used in a pregnant sense, including the verb, and standing for go down, come down, tear down, take down, or the like, especially in command or exclamation.

Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke. Shak.

If he be hungry more than wanton, bread alone will down. Locke.

— Down in the mouth, low-spirited; dejected. [Colloq.]— Down with, take down, throw down, put down;—used in energetic command. “Down with the palace; fire it.” Dryden.— Up and down, with rising and falling motion; back and forth; hither and thither.

Down, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. To cause to go down; to make descend; to overthrow, as in wrestling; hence, to subdue; to conquer; to bring down. [Obs. or rare.] “To down proud hearts.” Sidney.

I remember how you downed Beauclerk and Hamilton, the wits, once at our house. Madame D’Arblay.

Down, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. To go down; to descend. Locke.

Down, a.

adjective

a. 1. Downcast; dejected.

Sense 2. Downright; plain; flat; absolute; positive; as, a down denial. Beau. & Fl.

Sense 3. Downward; proceeding from the chief terminus; as, a down train on a railway.