downˈ-at-heelˈ adjective

1. Having the back of the shoe trodden down
2. Generally shabby

downˈbeat noun

1. A downward movement of the conductor's baton
2. An accented beat

adjective (informal)

1. Relaxed, unworried
2. Unemphatic
3. Depressed
4. Gloomy
5. Depressing

downˈbow noun (music)

A movement of the bow over the strings beginning at the nut end

downˈburst same as microburst

downˈcast adjective

1. Dejected
2. Looking down

noun

1. A current of air into a mine
2. A shaft carrying it (downˈcast-shaftˈ)
3. A downward throw
4. A downthrow

downˈ-come noun

1. A fall, ruin
2. A heavy pour of rain

downˈ-draught noun

A current of air downwards

downˈ-eastˈer noun (US)

Someone living down east from the speaker, a New Englander, and esp an inhabitant of Maine

downˈfall noun

1. Fall, failure, humiliation, ruin
2. A heavy fall of rain

downˈfallen adjective

Ruined

downˈflow noun

1. A running or flowing down
2. Something that runs or flows down

downˈforce noun

Aerodynamically-caused downward force in a car, etc which eg improves its road holding

downˈ-going adjective

down-goˈing (or /downˈ/) noun

downˈgrade noun

A downward slope or course

adjective and adverb

Downhill

transitive verb

1. To reduce in status, etc
2. To belittle, underrate

downˈ-gyved adjective (Shakespeare)

Hanging down like fetters

downˈhaul noun

A rope by which a jib, etc is hauled down when set

downheartˈed adjective

Dejected

downˈhill adjective

Descending, sloping (also noun)

downhillˈ adverb

downˈhole adjective

1. Of the drills, measuring instruments, and equipment used down a borehole (mining)
2. Applied to equipment that is used within the well (oil)

downˈ-home adjective (US informal)

1. Characteristic of the Southern states of the USA
2. Characteristic of the country or country-dwellers
3. Homemade
4. Friendly

downˈlighter noun

A downward-directed light-fitting, attached to or recessed in the ceiling

downˈ-line noun

The line of a railway leading from the capital, or other important centre, to the provinces

downˈlink noun

A connection in a telecommunications system between a space vehicle or satellite and the earth (also transitive verb)

downloadˈ transitive verb and intransitive verb (computing)

1. To transfer (data or programs, esp on the Internet) from another computer to one's own
2. To broadcast programmes of material for specialist groups (eg doctors) outside normal broadcasting hours (often to be recorded on videotape for viewing later)

noun /downˈ/

1. An act or the process of downloading
2. Something downloaded

downloadˈable adjective

downˈlooked adjective (Dryden)

Downcast, gloomy

downˈ-lyˈing noun (dialect)

1. Time of retiring to rest
2. A woman's confinement during childbirth

downmarˈket adjective

Of (buying, selling or using) goods and services of relatively low price, quality or prestige (also adverb)

downˈmost adverb and adjective

Superlative of down

down payment noun

A deposit on an article, service, etc

downˈpipe noun

A drainpipe that takes rainwater from the gutter of a roof

downˈplay transitive verb

To play down

downˈpour noun

A heavy fall of rain, etc

downˈright adverb

1. In plain terms
2. Utterly

adjective

1. Plain-spoken
2. Brusque
3. Utter, out-and-out (as in downright madness)
4. Thorough
5. Perpendicular (obsolete)

downˈrightness noun

downrivˈer adverb

With the current

adjective

Further down the river

downˈrush noun

A rushing down (as of gas, hot air, etc)

downˈscale transitive verb and intransitive verb (US)

To reduce in scale

adjective

Downmarket

downˈ-settˈing noun

A setting down, a snub

downˈshift intransitive verb

1. To select a lower gear in a vehicle
2. To choose a less affluent lifestyle in order to enhance one's life in non-material ways, esp in having more leisure time

downˈshifter noun

downˈshifting noun

downˈside noun

1. The adverse or disadvantageous aspect of a situation (also adjective)
2. (the risk of) a drop in share prices (finance)

downˈ-sittˈing noun

1. Sitting down, time of rest (Psalm 139.2)
2. A sitting, session (Scot)
3. A settlement, establishment (esp by marriage; Scot)

downˈsize transitive verb

1. To reduce in size (esp a workforce by redundancy)
2. To design or make a smaller model of (a car, etc)

intransitive verb

To sell one's home and move to a smaller property

downˈsizer noun

downˈsizing noun

downˈspout noun (N American)

A downpipe, drainpipe

downˈstageˈ adverb

Towards the footlights (also adjective)

downˈstair or downˈstairs adjective

downstairsˈ adverb

1. In or towards a lower storey
2. Belowstairs, in the servants' quarters

noun

A lower storey, usu the ground floor

downˈstateˈ adjective and adverb (US)

In or to a southerly or rural part of a state

noun

A downstate area

downstream' adverb

With the current

adjective /down'/

1. Further down the stream
2. Going with the current
3. In the hydrocarbons industry, denoting any stage subsequent to oil production, eg refining, the production of oil derivatives, etc (sometimes with of)
4. In any process or activity, denoting a subsequent stage

downˈstroke noun

A downward line made by the pen in writing

downˈswing noun

1. A downward trend in volume of trade, etc
2. The part of the swing where the club is moving down towards the ball (golf)

downˈ-the-line adjective

1. (of a ballet-dancer) inconspicuously placed, unimportant
2. Thorough, unwavering (US)

downˈthrow noun

1. An act of throwing down, or state of being thrown down
2. The amount of vertical displacement of the relatively lowered strata at a fault (geology)

downˈtime noun

A period when work is halted, due to equipment failure, lack of materials, bad weather, etc

downˈ-to-earthˈ adjective

1. Sensible
2. Practical
3. Realistic
4. Plain-speaking

downˈtownˈ adjective and adverb

In or towards the lower part or (esp N American) the business and shopping centre of the town

noun

This part of a town

downˈ-train noun

A railway train that leaves from the chief terminus

downˈtrend noun

A downward trend

downˈ-trod or downˈtrodden adjective

1. Trampled on
2. Tyrannized over

downˈturn noun

A downward trend, decline

downˈturned adjective

Folded or turned down

downˈwash noun

The downward current of air disturbed by an aerofoil

downˈwindˈ adjective and adverb

1. In the direction in which the wind is blowing
2. In or to a position (relative to someone or something) in this direction (often with of)

down east (US)

In or into Maine and adjoining parts of New England

down in the mouth

In low spirits

down on one's luck

In unfortunate circumstances

down south (US)

In the Southern states

down to (slang)

The fault or responsibility of

down tools

To stop work, strike

down to the ground (informal)

Completely

down town

In or towards the centre of a town

down under

In or to Australia and New Zealand

down with

1. Put down (imperative)
2. Swallow (imperative)
3. An interjection expressing a wish to depose, get rid of or abolish
4. In tune with, in sympathy with (informal)

go down

1. (often with with) to be received (well or badly) (by)
2. (often with with) to be acceptable (to)
3. (with with) to contract (an illness)

go downhill

To deteriorate (in health, prosperity or morality)

go downstream

To begin operating the downstream stages of oil exploitation

up and down

1. Alternately well and ill
2. To and fro

heel¹ /hēl/

noun

1. The hind part of the foot below the ankle
2. The whole foot (esp of animals)
3. The part of a shoe, etc that covers or supports the heel
4. A spur
5. The hinder part of anything, such as a violin bow
6. A heel-like bend, as on a golf club
7. A knob
8. The top, bottom or end of a loaf or a cheese
9. A despicable person, often someone who lets others down (slang)
10. A wrestler who cultivates an antagonistic relationship with the audience, opp to face

transitive verb

1. To execute or perform with the heel
2. To strike with the heel
3. To supply with a heel
4. To arm with a spur, as a fighting cock
5. To seize by the heels
6. To tie by the heels
7. To follow at the heels of
8. To supply with a weapon, money, etc

intransitive verb

1. (of a dog) to follow well
2. To move one's heels to a dance rhythm
3. To kick the ball backwards out of the scrum with the heel (rugby)

heeled adjective

1. Provided with a heel, shod
2. (as -heeled) in combination, signifying (of shoes) having a heel of a specified type (as in high-heeled), and used figurative in well-heeled comfortably off

heelˈer noun

1. Someone who heels, in any sense
2. A person who follows at heel, such as an unscrupulously faithful follower of a party boss
3. A dog that herds livestock by following and barking at their heels (Aust)

heelˈing noun

1. A heel-piece (Spenser)
2. The act of making or attaching a heel

heelˈball noun

A black waxy composition for blacking the edges of heels and soles of shoes and boots, and for taking brass rubbings, etc

heelˈbar noun

A shop or counter where shoes, etc are repaired

heelˈ-bone noun

The calcaneum, the bone that forms the heel of the foot

heelˈ-piece noun

A piece or cover for the heel

heelˈtap noun

1. A layer of material in a shoe-heel
2. A small quantity of liquor left in the glass after drinking (old)

Achilles' heel see under Achillean

at (or on or upon) the heels of

Following close behind

back on one's heels

1. Driven back by an opponent
2. On the defensive

bring to heel

To cause or persuade to come to heel

clap by the heels same as lay by the heels (see below).

come to heel

1. To come in behind
2. To obey or follow like a dog
3. To submit to authority

cool one's heels

To be kept waiting for some time

dig in one's heels

To behave stubbornly

down at heel

1. Having the heels of one's shoes trodden down
2. Slovenly
3. In poor circumstances

heel and toe

With strict walking pace, as opposed to running (also intransitive verb to use the heel and toe of one foot to operate both the brake and accelerator pedals, eg when driving a racing car)

heel in

To cover the roots of (plants, etc) temporarily with earth to keep them moist (also hele in)

heel of Achilles see under Achillean

heels o'er gowdy (Scot) or heels over head (archaic)

Upside down

kick one's heels

To endure a period of inactivity

kick up one's heels

To gambol or frisk

lay by the heels

1. To fetter
2. To put in confinement

out at heel

1. Having one's heels showing through holes in the socks or stockings
2. Shabby

set by the heels same as lay by the heels (see above).

set (one) back on one's heels

To surprise, astonish one

show a clean pair of heels

To run off

take to one's heels

To flee

tread on someone's heels

To come crowding behind

trip up someone's heels

To trip up or overthrow someone

turn on (or upon) one's heel

To turn sharply round, to turn back or away

two for his heels

(in cribbage) a score for turning up the jack

under the heel

Crushed, ruled over tyrannically

walk to heel

(of a dog) to walk obediently at the heels of the person in charge of it, under control