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put down to


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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
down1 /daʊn/USA pronunciation   adv. 
  1. from higher to lower;
    toward or into a lower position or level:Tell him to come down.
  2. on or to the ground, floor, or the like:to fall down.
  3. to or in a sitting or lying position:Sit down next to her.
  4. to an area or district considered lower from a geographical standpoint, esp. southward:We drove down to San Diego from Los Angeles.
  5. to a lower value, level, or rate:Slow down.
  6. to a lesser pitch or volume:Turn down the radio.
  7. in or to a calmer or less active state:The wind died down.
  8. from an earlier to a later time:the history of the church from the Middle Ages down to the present.
  9. from a greater to a lesser strength, amount, etc.:to water down a drink.
  10. earnestly:to get down to work.
  11. on paper:Write this down.
  12. in cash at the time of purchase:$50 down and $20 a month thereafter.
  13. to the point of defeat or submission:shouted down the opposition.
  14. to the source or actual position:to track someone down.
  15. into a condition of ill health:He came down with the flu.
  16. in or into a lower status or condition:He was kept down by lack of education.

prep. 
  1. in a descending direction on or along;
    in a place moved farther away than:They ran off down the street.

adj. 
  1. directed downward;
    going down:[before a noun]Take the down escalator on the left.
  2. sad;
    gloomy;
    depressed:[be/seem + ~]You seem pretty down today.
  3. sick and in bed:[be + ~]He's down with a bad cold.
  4. Sport behind an opponent or opponents in points:[be + ~]We're down by twenty points.
  5. having lost the amount indicated, esp. at gambling:[be + ~]After that last race I'm only down $10.
  6. finished or taken care of:Five down and one to go.
  7. out of order:[be + ~]The computer is down again.
  8. Informal Terms, Slang Terms[Slang.]
    • admired:a down dude.

n. [countable]
  1. a turn for the worse;
    reverse:It was another down for the company already in debt.
  2. Sport[Football.]one of a series of four plays during which a team must advance the ball at least 10 yd. (9 m) to keep possession of it:[countable]On that last series of downs the team moved the ball well.

v. [~ + object]
  1. to knock, throw, or bring down:He downed his opponent with a quick right to the jaw.
  2. to drink down, esp. quickly:I downed the vodka in one gulp.
  3. Informal Termsto defeat in a game or contest:The Rangers downed the Flyers 2-0 last night.

interj. 
  1. (used as a command or warning) get down:Down in front, please (= Please sit down in front, so people behind you can see).
Idioms
  1. Idioms down cold or pat, learned perfectly:He always has his facts down cold before he argues with anyone.
  2. Idioms down in the mouth, discouraged;
    sad;
    depressed:He looks down in the mouth today.
  3. down on, [~ + object] hostile to:Most of the party's regular members are down on his candidacy.
  4. Idioms down with, [~ + object] (used in a command or a wish, without a subject) to remove from power or do away with:Down with the king!


down2 /daʊn/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. Clothingthe short, soft feathers of some birds, used for filling in clothing for warmth.
  2. Botanyfine, soft, short hair, such as on plants.

adj. [before a noun]
  1. Clothingfilled with down:a down jacket.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
down1  (doun),USA pronunciation adv. 
  1. from higher to lower;
    in descending direction or order;
    toward, into, or in a lower position:to come down the ladder.
  2. on or to the ground, floor, or bottom:He fell down.
  3. to or in a sitting or lying position.
  4. to or in a position, area, or district considered lower, esp. from a geographical or cartographic standpoint, as to the south, a business district, etc.:We drove from San Francisco down to Los Angeles.
  5. to or at a lower value or rate.
  6. to a lesser pitch or volume:Turn down the radio.
  7. in or to a calmer, less active, or less prominent state:The wind died down.
  8. from an earlier to a later time:from the 17th century down to the present.
  9. from a greater to a lesser strength, amount, etc.:to water down liquor.
  10. in an attitude of earnest application:to get down to work.
  11. on paper or in a book:Write down the address.
  12. in cash at the time of purchase;
    at once:We paid $50 down and $20 a month.
  13. to the point of defeat, submission, inactivity, etc.:They shouted down the opposition.
  14. in or into a fixed or supine position:They tied down the struggling animal.
  15. to the source or actual position:The dogs tracked down the bear.
  16. into a condition of ill health:He's come down with a cold.
  17. in or into a lower status or condition:kept down by lack of education.
  18. Nautical, Naval Termstoward the lee side, so as to turn a vessel to windward:Put the helm down!
  19. Slang Termson toast (as used in ordering a sandwich at a lunch counter or restaurant):Give me a tuna down.
  20. Idioms down with! 
    • away with! cease!:Down with tyranny!
    • on or toward the ground or into a lower position:Down with your rifles!

prep. 
  1. in a descending or more remote direction or place on, over, or along:They ran off down the street.

adj. 
  1. downward;
    going or directed downward:the down escalator.
  2. being at a low position or on the ground, floor, or bottom.
  3. toward the south, a business district, etc.
  4. associated with or serving traffic, transportation, or the like, directed toward the south, a business district, etc.:the down platform.
  5. downcast;
    depressed;
    dejected:You seem very down today.
  6. ailing, esp., sick and bedridden:He's been down with a bad cold.
  7. being the portion of the full price, as of an article bought on the installment plan, that is paid at the time of purchase or delivery:a payment of $200 down.
  8. Sport[Football.](of the ball) not in play.
  9. Sportbehind an opponent or opponents in points, games, etc.:The team won the pennant despite having been down three games in the final week of play.
  10. Sport[Baseball.]out.
  11. losing or having lost the amount indicated, esp. at gambling:After an hour at poker, he was down $10.
  12. Sporthaving placed one's bet:Are you down for the fourth race?
  13. finished, done, considered, or taken care of:five down and one to go.
  14. out of order:The computer has been down all day.
  15. Idioms down and out, down-and-out.
  16. Idioms down cold or pat, mastered or learned perfectly:Another hour of studying and I'll have the math lesson down cold.
  17. Idioms down in the mouth, discouraged;
    depressed;
    sad.
  18. down on, [Informal.]hostile or averse to:Why are you so down on sports?

n. 
  1. a downward movement;
    descent.
  2. a turn for the worse;
    reverse:The business cycle experienced a sudden down.
  3. Sport[Football.]
    • one of a series of four plays during which a team must advance the ball at least 10 yd. (9 m) to keep possession of it.
    • the declaring of the ball as down or out of play, or the play immediately preceding this.
  4. Slang Termsan order of toast at a lunch counter or restaurant.
  5. Slang Termsdowner (defs. 1a, b).

v.t. 
  1. to put, knock, or throw down;
    subdue:He downed his opponent in the third round.
  2. to drink down, esp. quickly or in one gulp:to down a tankard of ale.
  3. Informal Termsto defeat in a game or contest:The Mets downed the Dodgers in today's game.
  4. to cause to fall from a height, esp. by shooting:Antiaircraft guns downed ten bombers.

v.i. 
  1. to go down;
    fall.

interj. 
  1. (used as a command to a dog to stop attacking, to stop jumping on someone, to get off a couch or chair, etc.):Down, Rover!
  2. (used as a command or warning to duck, take cover, or the like):Down! They're starting to shoot!
  • bef. 1100; Middle English doune, Old English dūne, aphetic variant of adūne for of dūne off (the) hill; see a-2, down3

down2  (doun),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Birdsthe soft, first plumage of many young birds.
  2. Birdsthe soft under plumage of birds as distinct from the contour feathers.
  3. Clothingthe under plumage of some birds, as geese and ducks, used for filling in quilts, clothing, etc., chiefly for warmth.
  4. a growth of soft, fine hair or the like.
  5. [Bot.]
    • Botanya fine, soft pubescence on plants and some fruits.
    • Botanythe light, feathery pappus or coma on seeds by which they are borne on the wind, as on the dandelion and thistle.

adj. 
  1. Clothingfilled with down:a down jacket.
  • Old Norse dūnn
  • Middle English downe 1325–75
down′less, adj. 
down′like′, adj. 

down3  (doun),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. British TermsOften, downs. (used esp. in southern England) open, rolling, upland country with fairly smooth slopes usually covered with grass.
  2. Animal Husbandry(cap.) any sheep of several breeds, raised originally in the downs of southern England, as the Southdown, Suffolk, etc.
  3. [Archaic.]a hill, esp. a sand hill or dune.
  • bef. 1000; Middle English; Old English dūn hill; cognate with Dutch duin dune; not related to Irish, Old Irish dún (see town)

Down  (doun),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Place Namesa county in SW Northern Ireland. 311,876;
    952 sq. mi. (2466 sq. km). Co. seat: Downpatrick.
  2. Place Namesan administrative district in this county. 49,500;
    253 sq. mi. (654 sq. km).

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
down / daʊn/
  1. used to indicate movement from a higher to a lower position: they went down the mountain
  2. at a lower or further level or position on, in, or along: she ran down the street
  1. downwards; at or to a lower level or position: don't fall down
  2. (particle) used with many verbs when the result of the verb's action is to lower or destroy its object: pull down, knock down, bring down
  3. (particle) used with several verbs to indicate intensity or completion: calm down
  4. immediately: cash down
  5. on paper: write this down
  6. arranged; scheduled: the meeting is down for next week
  7. in a helpless position: they had him down on the ground
  8. away from a more important place: down from London
  9. away from a more northerly place: down from Scotland
  10. (of a member of some British universities) away from the university; on vacation
  11. in a particular part of a country: down south
  12. (of a helm) having the rudder to windward
  13. reduced to a state of lack or want: down to the last pound
  14. lacking a specified amount: at the end of the day the cashier was fifty pounds down
  15. lower in price: bacon is down
  16. including all intermediate terms, grades, people, etc: everyone from managing director down to interns
  17. from an earlier to a later time: the heirloom was handed down
  18. to a finer or more concentrated state: to grind down, boil down
  19. being a specified number of points, goals, etc behind another competitor, team, etc: six goals down
  20. (of a person) being inactive, owing to illness: down with flu
  21. (functioning as imperative) (to dogs): down Rover!
  22. down with ⇒ (functioning as imperative) wanting the end of somebody or something: down with the king!
  23. get down on something ⇒ to procure something, esp in advance of needs or in anticipation of someone else
  1. (postpositive) depressed or miserable
  2. (prenominal) of or relating to a train or trains from a more important place or one regarded as higher: the down line
  3. (postpositive) (of a device, machine, etc, esp a computer) temporarily out of action
  4. made in cash: a down payment
  5. down to ⇒ the responsibility or fault of: this defeat was down to me
  6. down with ⇒ having a good understanding of: down with electronics
  7. in agreement with: completely down with that idea
  8. enjoying mutual friendship and respect with: down with the kids
  1. (transitive) to knock, push, or pull down
  2. (transitive) to drink, esp quickly: he downed three gins
  3. (transitive) to bring (someone) down, esp by tackling
  1. one of a maximum of four consecutive attempts by one team to advance the ball a total of at least ten yards
  2. a descent; downward movement
  3. a lowering or a poor period (esp in the phrase ups and downs)
  4. have a down on ⇒ to bear ill will towards (someone or something)
Etymology: Old English dūne, short for adūne, variant of of dūne, literally: from the hill, from of, off + dūn hill; see down3
down / daʊn/
  1. the soft fine feathers with free barbs that cover the body of a bird and prevent loss of heat. In the adult they lie beneath and between the contour feathers
  2. another name for eiderdown1
  3. a fine coating of soft hairs, as on certain leaves, fruits, and seeds
  4. any growth or coating of soft fine hair, such as that on the human face
Etymology: 14th Century: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse dūnn
down / daʊn/
  1. a hill, esp a sand dune
Etymology: Old English dūn; related to Old Frisian dūne, Old Saxon dūna hill, Old Irish dūn fortress, Greek this sandbank; see dune, town
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Down / daʊn/
  1. a district of SE Northern Ireland, in Co Down. Pop: 65 195 (2003 est). Area: 649 sq km (250 sq miles)
  2. a historical county of SE Northern Ireland, on the Irish Sea: generally hilly, rising to the Mountains of Mourne: in 1973 it was replaced for administrative purposes by the districts of Ards, Banbridge, Castlereagh, Down, Newry and Mourne, North Down, and part of Lisburn. Area: 2466 sq km (952 sq miles)
'put down to' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
ley - lower - put

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