down
29
4.8
- noun
- /daʊn/
- The warm down filling in my jacket keeps me cozy during the winter.
Examples
-
We have this down pillow so soft.
-
A tiny feather, released from his puffy down jacket, lifted into the air between them.
Fiction book (1999) -
Her face was so close he could see the down on her upper lip.
Fiction book (1999) -
All too soon, the down is lost, giving way to rough fur and scales.
Fiction book (1999) -
When the bread was done, I began to wrap myself in a down coat, mittens, and earmuffs.
Fiction book (1993) -
Young ducklings are covered in soft down that helps keep them warm.
-
She chose a down comforter for her bed because of its softness and warmth.
Synonyms
3
3.8
Soft fine feathers from under a goose used as warm filling
1
6.1
A thick soft layer of fur under the longer outer hairs that keeps an animal warm
1
3.2
A very soft feather under a bird's outer feathers that keeps the bird warm
1
8.9
Soft feathers from the eider duck used to fill warm bedding
1
8.2
Soft fine feathers under a swan's outer feathers used to fill clothes or bedding
1
2.8
Soft fine feathers from a duck used to fill warm bedding and clothing
1
8.2
A soft filling that people make from swan feathers and use in clothing and bedding
1
9.9
A soft, fluffy feather that covers baby birds and sometimes adults
Idioms
- Informal
10
8.1
Completely unable to move or continue because of extreme tiredness
- Informal
8
8.2
To suddenly speak angrily and criticize someone for a small mistake
- Informal
6
5.9
A sudden feeling of fear or excitement that moves along your back
- Informal
6
9.5
Found unprepared and embarrassed when something unexpected happens
- Informal
5
5.9
Reach a point where the result is not decided until the last moment
4
5.9
To continue until the last possible moment while the result is not known
- Informal
4
6.0
Cause someone to feel a sudden strong fear or excitement
- Informal
4
8.3
Make someone accept ideas or opinions they do not want by pressuring them
- Informal
3
5.9
Make someone feel a sudden strong fear or excitement
- Informal
3
4.9
Things that rise will later fall, for example prices or fortunes
- Informal
1
6.9
To treat someone badly when they already have problems
- Australian
1
9.9
To criticize someone who stands out to make them seem less successful
Compounds
- US
78
3.1
A first payment you make when you buy something and pay the rest in later payments
- Informal
11
4.6
Something that is less strong or useful because people change it to avoid problems
- Jargon
5
6.3
A temporary pause in military activity to let troops rest and stop being on alert
- Specialized
5
3.2
A list of options that appears below a menu item so you can choose one
- Specialized
3
6.4
A reduction in the value of something a company owns to show it is now worth less
- Archaic
2
6.4
Workers who stay in their workplace and refuse to leave until the employer meets their demands
- Informal
2
6.1
A severe scolding from someone in charge, often in front of other people
- Specialized
1
3.3
A condition present at birth caused by an extra chromosome that makes learning harder and gives typical physical features
- Specialized
1
8.8
A bow movement from the part near your hand toward the tip when playing a string instrument
- Specialized
1
9.9
A very small particle inside protons and neutrons with an electric charge of minus one third
- Specialized
1
5.6
A device that lowers high electric voltage so appliances work safely
A large British sheep with a dark face and a thick coat that people keep for meat and wool
- Specialized
A storage where the last thing put in comes out first, like a pile of plates
How Warm
Surface Forms
Etymology
Down for soft feathers comes from an old Germanic word dūna for the soft under-feathers of birds, so down is the light, warm filling used in jackets and bedding.