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 ]

adv. [ For older adown, AS. adūn, adūne, 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 ]

☞ 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 Herè 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 ]

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 ]

v. t. To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down. [ R. ] Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. dun, doun, AS. dūn; of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. dūn 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 ]

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 ]

v. i. To go down; to descend. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Akin to LG. dune, dun, Icel. d&unr_;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 ]

n. a person who is destitute; as, he tried to help the down-and-out. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. impoverished; -- usually implying a state of dejection as well. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. physically weak.
Syn. -- down-and-out. [ PJC ]