资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Down \Down\, adv. [For older adown, AS. ad?n, ad?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.

   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.

                It will be rain to-night. Let it come down.
                                                  --Shak.

                I sit me down beside the hazel grove.
                                                  --Tennyson.

                And that drags down his life.     --Tennyson.

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

                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 decent; below the
          horizon; of the ground; in a condition of humility,
          dejection, misery, and the like; in a state of quiet.

                I was down and out of breath.     --Shak.

                The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
                                                  --Shak.

                He that is down needs fear no fall. --Bunyan.

   3. From a remoter or higher antiquity.

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

   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.

               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.

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

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

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

   {Down with}, take down, throw down, put down; -- used in
      energetic command. ``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.

[Colloq.]

      An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the shop
      whenever he can do so with impunity.        --Thomas
                                                  Hamilton.

   {To cut a caper}. See under {Caper}.

   {To cut the cards}, to divide a pack of cards into portions,
      in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change
      the cards to be dealt.

   {To cut a dash} or {a figure}, to make a display. [Colloq.]
      

   {To cut down}.
      (a) To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate.
          ``Timber . . . cut down in the mountains of Cilicia.''
          --Knolles.
      (b) To put down; to abash; to humble. [Obs] ``So great is
          his natural eloquence, that he cuts doun the finest
          orator.'' --Addison
      (c) To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down
          expenses.
      (d) (Naut.) To raze; as, to cut down a frigate into a
          sloop.

   {To cut the knot} or {the Gordian knot}, to dispose of a
      difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary
      action, rather than by skill or patience.

   {To cut lots}, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw
      lots.

   {To cut off}.
      (a) To sever; to separate.

                I would to God, . . . The king had cut off my
                brother's.                        --Shak.
      (b) To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to
          destroy. ``Iren[ae]us was likewise cut off by
          martyrdom.'' --Addison.
      (c) To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut off
          (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam
          engine.
      (d) To intercept; as,, to cut off an enemy's retreat.
      (e) To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate.

   {To cut out}.
      (a) To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a
          piece from a board.
      (b) To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a garment.
          `` A large forest cut out into walks.'' --Addison.
      (c) To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out
          work for another day. ``Every man had cut out a place
          for himself.'' --Addison.
      (d) To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to
          cut out a rival. [Colloq.]
      (e) To debar. ``I am cut out from anything but common
          acknowledgments.'' --Pope.
      (f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or
          from under the guns of an enemy.

   {To cut to pieces}.
      (a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces.
      (b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces.

   {To cut a play} (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out
      passages, to adapt it for the stage.

   {To cut rates} (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for
      transportation below the rates established between
      competing lines.

   {To cut short}, to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a
      sudden termination. ``Achilles cut him short, and thus
      replied.'' --Dryden.

   {To cut stick}, to make off clandestinely or precipitately.
      [Slang]

   {To cut teeth}, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce
      through the gum and appear.

   {To have cut one's eyeteeth}, to be sharp and knowing.
      [Colloq.]

   {To cut one's wisdom teeth}, to come to years of discretion.
      

   {To cut under}, to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor
      in trade.

   {To cut up}.
      (a) To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes.
      (b) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut
          up a book or its author by severe criticism. ``This
          doctrine cuts up all government by the roots.''
          --Locke.
      (c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the
          death of his friend cut him up terribly. [Colloq.]
          --Thackeray.