Skip to main content
to spin down

to spin down

6.6
To make a hard drive or fan slow down to save power
  • phrasal verb
  • Specialized
translation icon : reducir la velocidad

Examples

  • So what happened in chronological order was around midnight, the decision was made to undergo this test and start spinning down the turbine.

  • When the computer is idle for a few minutes, the hard drive will spin down to save energy.

  • To prevent overheating, you should regularly let your fan spin down after prolonged use.

  • The system is designed to spin down the motor when it is no longer needed, which helps conserve power.

Synonyms

to shut down
vsto spin down
541 2.9

Stop a machine, business, or system from working

reduces a motor's rotational speed to save power rather than turning it off

Antonyms

to spin up
  • Specialized
3 5.2

Start a computer system or service so it is ready to use

How Slow

stop
310 1.0
to spin down
  • Specialized
6.6
to idle
  • Specialized
2 5.3
to slow down
687 1.4
to throttle
  • Specialized
3 7.2

Surface Forms

spin down infinitive
spinning down present participle
spins down third person singular
spun down past
spun down past participle

Morphology

spin + down

The meaning 'to cause a device to reduce its rotational speed' is directly derivable from combining 'spin' (to rotate) with the particle 'down' (indicating reduction), following the common English verb+particle pattern. Although the use is technical (computing/electronics), the compositional logic is transparent and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Spin down comes from machines that have parts that turn, like hard drives or fans, which can slow their spin and go down to save power. That's why in computing to spin down a device means to make it slow or 'stop' turning.