413
D Phil
London that contains the official houses of the British Prime Minister, at number 10, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (=chief financial minister) at number 11. The name Downing Street is often used to mean the Prime Minister and his/her officials, or the government of the UK: Downing Street announced last night that peace talks with the IRA had lead to a breakthrough. → see colour photo on page A34
down·light·er /'daunlaɪtə/ n a light placed at a high level and directed downwards → compare UPLIGHTER
down·load¹ /daun'loʊd/ v [T] to move (information or PROGRAMS) from one computer system to another
down·load² /'daunloʊd/ n [C] a computer FILE or program that has been downloaded, or the process of downloading it: downloads of pictures from the Hubble telescope
down-'market adj being or using goods produced to meet the demand of the lower social groups → compare UP-MARKET
down 'payment n a part of the full price paid at the time of buying something, with the rest to be paid later: They saved up enough to make a down payment on a new lounge suite. → compare DEPOSIT²
down·play /'daunpleɪ/ v [T] to make (something) seem less important than it really is; PLAY DOWN: Most of the newspaper reports downplayed the significance of this accident.
down·pour /'daunpɔː/ n a heavy fall of rain → see RAIN (USAGE)
down·right¹ /'daunraɪt/ adv infml (especially of something bad) thoroughly; completely: She wasn't just unfriendly, she was downright rude.
downright² adj [A] infml 1 (especially of something bad) thorough; complete: a downright cheat | His comment was a downright insult. 2 plain; direct; FORTHRIGHT: a downright kind of man who says just what he thinks
downs /daunz/ n [P] BrE (often cap. as part of a name) low rounded grassy hills, especially chalk hills, as in the south of England: the North/South Downs
down·shift /'daunʃɪft/ v [I] 1 to decide to do less work, even though this means you will have less money → see also DOWNSHIFTING 2 AmE to put the engine of a vehicle into a lower GEAR
down·shift·ing /'daunʃɪftŋ/ n [U] a deliberate change in your way of life, by which you decide to work less hard and have more free time, and you accept that you will therefore have less money and fewer possessions. Downshifting became popular with some MIDDLE-CLASS people in the 1990s, especially people who had been working so hard that they could never relax and enjoy themselves.
down·side /'daunsaɪd/ adj (especially in business) showing an expectation or likelihood of loss, disadvantage, or failure: downside estimate of future sales → opposite UPSIDE —downside n [S] The downside of the project is that some jobs will be lost.
down·size /'daunsaɪz/ v [I,T] if a company or organization downsizes, or downsizes its operations, it reduces the number of people it employs in order to reduce costs —downsizing n [U]
down·spout /'daunspaʊt/ also drain·spout n AmE for DRAIN-PIPE
Down's, syndrome n [U] a GENETIC condition that a baby is born with, which prevents the baby from developing in a normal way, both mentally and physically. Women who are 35 years old or older are more likely to have babies with Down's syndrome than younger mothers.
down·stage /daun'steɪdʒ, / adj, adv towards or at the front of a theatrical stage: The actor came downstage. | A battle was being acted downstage. | downstage action → opposite UPSTAGE
down·stairs /daun'steəz || -erz/ adv on or to a lower floor and especially the main or ground floor of a house: to come downstairs | Is anyone downstairs? → compare UPSTAIRS —downstairs adj [A] a downstairs bedroom —downstairs n: We haven't painted the downstairs yet.
down·state /'daunsteɪt/ adj [A] AmE in or from the southern part of a state: A downstate judge was called in to hear the case. → opposite UPSTATE —down-state /daun'steɪt/ adv
down·stream /daun'striːm/ adj, adv (moving) with the current, towards the mouth of a river, stream etc: The boat drifted downstream. → opposite UPSTREAM
down·time /'dauntaɪm/ n [U] 1 the time during which a machine, especially a computer, is not operating 2 AmE time when a person is not working, especially when they are resting or relaxing: Everybody needs their downtime after a hard day's work.
down-to-'earth adj apprec practical and honest: a down-to-earth approach to health care | She's very down-to-earth and will tell you what she really thinks.
down·town¹ /daun'taʊn/ adj, adv especially AmE to, towards, or in the business centre of a town or city: to go downtown | downtown restaurants/offices → compare UPTOWN, MIDTOWN
downtown² /'dauntaʊn/ n AmE the business centre of a town or city: City Hall has recently passed a proposal to improve street lighting in the city's downtown.
down·trod·den /'dauntrɒdn||-trɑː-/ adj especially lit treated badly or without respect by those in positions of power: downtrodden workers
down·turn /'dauntɜːn||-tɜːrn/ n [(in)] a (usually unwelcome) lessening of business activity, production etc: A downturn in shipbuilding orders has meant the laying-off of hundreds of workers. → opposite UPTURN
down 'under adv humr infml in Australia or New Zealand: Conserving water is part of everyday life down under and most Australians re-use their domestic water in the garden.
down·ward /'daunwəd||-wərd/ adj [A] going down: a downward movement of the head | the downward trend of share prices | (fig.) the downward path to ruin → opposite UPWARD
down·wards /'daunwədz||-wərdz/ also downward AmE — adv 1 towards a lower level or position: He looked downwards to avoid my eyes. | Everyone in the company had to take a pay cut, from the chairman downwards. 2 with a particular side towards the ground or floor: He lay face downwards. → opposite UPWARDS 3 from an earlier time: downwards through the years
down·wind /daun'wɪnd/ adj, adv in the direction that the wind is moving
Down·y /'dauni/ trademark a type of liquid FABRIC CONDITIONER (=substance for making clothes feel softer), sold in the US
dow·ry /'daʊəri/ n the property and money that a woman brings to her husband in marriage
dowse¹ /daʊs/ v [T] to DOUSE
dowse² /daʊz/ v [I] to DIVINE
dow·ser /'daʊsə/ n a DIVINER
doy·en /'dɔɪən/, doy·enne /dɔɪ'en/ fem. — n the oldest, longest-serving, or most experienced member of a group: He was the doyen of sports commentators.
Doyle, Rod·dy /dɔɪl, 'rɒdi||'rɑː-/ (1958-) an Irish writer whose novels deal humorously with the lives of WORKING-CLASS people living in Dublin. They include The Commitments, which is also a successful film, and Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, which won the Booker Prize in 1993.
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan → see CONAN DOYLE
doy·ley, doyly /'dɔɪli/ n a DOILY
doz. n written abbrev. for DOZEN
doze /dəʊz/ v [I] to sleep lightly or for a short time: Grandfather was dozing in front of the television. —doze n: to have a little doze
doze off also drop off, nod off phr v [I] to fall into a light sleep unintentionally: The lecture was so boring that I dozed off in the middle of it.
doz·en /'dʌzn/ determiner, n pl. dozen or dozens 1 a group of 12: a dozen eggs | These eggs are 40p a half dozen. (=40p for six) → see TABLE 1 2 dozens (and dozens) of infml lots (and lots) of; very many: I've been there dozens of times. → see also BAKER'S DOZEN, nineteen to the dozen (NINETEEN)
doz·y /'dəʊzi/ adj 1 sleepy: a dozy feeling/afternoon 2 BrE infml stupid; slow in understanding: a dozy boy —ily adv —iness n [U]
DP /,di: 'pi:/ abbrev. for DATA PROCESSING
D Phil /'di: 'fi:l/ n abbrev. for Doctor of Philosophy; a name for a PHD used in some British universities