Down has 35 different meanings across 6 categories:
soft fine feathers
"The old hen tucked her head under her fluffy down to keep warm during the cold night."
(American football) a complete play to advance the football
"you have four downs to gain ten yards"
English physician who first described Down's syndrome (1828-1896)
"The doctor explained that the condition was named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who first identified it in 1866."
(usually plural) a rolling treeless highland with little soil
"The sheep grazed lazily on the moors, their wool contrasting sharply against the grey expanse of down that stretched toward the distant hills."
A negative aspect; a downer.
"The camper unzipped her jacket to reveal a thick layer of down that kept the winter night surprisingly warm."
A hill, especially a chalk hill; rolling grassland
Soft, fluffy immature feathers which grow on young birds. Used as insulating material in duvets, sleeping bags and jackets.
In plain English: Down is the soft, fluffy layer of feathers that grows under the hard outer feathers on a bird's body to keep it warm.
"The price was cut down to fifty dollars during the sale."
Usage: Use "down" to refer specifically to the soft, fluffy underfeathers found on young birds that are harvested for use as insulation in bedding and clothing. Do not confuse this noun with the common preposition or adverb indicating direction or position.
eat up completely, as with great appetite
"Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal"
"The teenagers demolished four pizzas among them"
bring down or defeat (an opponent)
"The boxer landed a final punch that brought his rival crashing to the mat, securing the victory."
cause to come or go down
"The policeman downed the heavily armed suspect"
"The mugger knocked down the old lady after she refused to hand over her wallet"
To knock (someone or something) down; to cause to come down, to fell.
"The artisan carefully stuffed the luxurious cushion with soft goose down to create a cloud-like comfort."
To cover, ornament, line, or stuff with down.
In plain English: To go down means to move from a higher place to a lower one.
"Please turn down the music so my neighbors won't complain."
Usage: As a verb, to down means to consume food or drink quickly and eagerly. Use this term when describing someone finishing a large meal or beverage in one sitting, not for covering something with feathers.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
"lay face down"
"the moon is down"
"our team is down by a run"
"down by a pawn"
"the stock market is down today"
filled with melancholy and despondency
"gloomy at the thought of what he had to face"
"gloomy predictions"
"a gloomy silence"
"took a grim view of the economy"
"the darkening mood"
"lonely and blue in a strange city"
"depressed by the loss of his job"
"a dispirited and resigned expression on her face"
"downcast after his defeat"
"feeling discouraged and downhearted"
Facing downwards.
"He slipped on the icy patch and landed face down in the snow."
In plain English: Down means feeling sad, depressed, or not happy.
"The prices for the houses in that neighborhood are going down."
Usage: Use "down" before a noun to describe something positioned with its upper side lower than its base, such as a down slope or a down flight. Avoid using it to mean "depressed" when you specifically need to indicate physical orientation facing the ground.
spatially or metaphorically from a higher to a lower level or position
"don't fall down"
"rode the lift up and skied down"
"prices plunged downward"
away from a more central or a more northerly place
"was sent down to work at the regional office"
"worked down on the farm"
"came down for the wedding"
"flew down to Florida"
in an inactive or inoperative state
"the factory went down during the strike"
"the computer went down again"
From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.
"The ball rolled quickly down the steep hill and landed in the muddy field below."
In plain English: Down means moving toward the ground or lower position.
Usage: Use "down" as an adverb to indicate movement from a higher place to a lower one without adding a preposition like "to." For example, say "the ball rolled down" instead of "rolled down to the floor."
From the higher end to the lower of.
"The river flows down from the mountains into the valley."
One of the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland, usually known as County Down.
"We drove into County Down to visit my grandmother's old cottage near Bangor."
The word "down" comes from Old English dūn, meaning "hill," combined with a prefix that meant "off." Originally referring to something moving off a hill or downward, the term evolved through Middle English into its current form.