to dash down - Glite Dictionary

Examples

Matt dashed down the hall.

Fiction book (2002)
She dashed down the stairs, nearly falling in her haste and shouting to Lexa.

Fiction book (1996)
During the meeting, he quickly dashed down some notes to remember the main points.
She dashed down the important details of the recipe before forgetting them.
I often dash down ideas for my book in a notebook when inspiration strikes.

Synonyms

to write down

vsto dash down

214 1.1

Put information on paper to help you remember it later

is a rapid careless recording rather than a mindful note for memory

to put down

vsto dash down

117 2.4

To write something so you do not forget it

is done quickly and without much care rather than a neutral record

to get down

vsto dash down

52 3.4

To write something down on paper or a screen

is a hurried careless way of writing rather than a general record

to jot down

vsto dash down

Informal

27 2.9

To write a short note quickly to remember something

is faster and less careful but not tied to short reminders

to jot

vsto dash down

8 3.9

To write something quickly as a short note

is faster and less careful not focused on brief reminders

to dash off

vsto dash down

3 5.1

To write something quickly without much care

is the same meaning but used with a different preposition or particle

to scratch off

vsto dash down

1 4.4

To write something quickly without much care

is fast but does not emphasise urgent hurriedness

to fling off

vsto dash down

Informal

7.3

To write something quickly without much effort

focuses on lack of careful attention rather than low physical effort

to key down

vsto dash down

5.5

To type notes or information on a computer keyboard

is about quickly writing without care not specifically typing

How Quickly

to scribble

55 3.5

to dash down

1 4.4

to jot down

Informal

27 2.9

to write down

214 1.1

to copy out

1 2.8

Surface Forms

dash down infinitive

dashed down past

dashed down past participle

dashing down present participle

dashes down third person singular

Morphology

dash + down

The verb 'dash' clearly conveys quickness, so a learner can infer that the action is done rapidly; however neither 'dash' (to rush) nor 'down' (direction/completion) alone specifies the act of writing or recording. Because the rapidity is predictable from the parts but the specific meaning 'to write down' requires knowledge of phrasal patterns like 'write down' or 'jot down', the expression is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Dash down comes from the image of quickly making a dash across a page. When you dash a mark down to catch an idea, it is fast and a bit careless, so the phrase means 'to write down something quickly and without much care'.