down

Down,

district (1991 pop. 57,050), 246 sq mi (637 sq km), SE Northern Ireland. The principal town is Downpatrick. The shoreline extends along the Irish Sea and is deeply indented by Strangford Lough. The undulating surface rises to the beautiful Mourne Mts. in the south. Chief rivers are the Lagan and the Bann. Agriculture is the most important activity, and the area is extensively cultivated (oats, barley, wheat, and hay). Market gardening is common in the north. Sheep and pigs are also raised. Manufactures include linen, cotton, rayon, clothing, agricultural machinery, and metals. The chief manufacturing towns are Downpatrick and Ballynahinch. Fishing is economically important; herring and whitefish constitute the main catch. Newcastle and Killyleagh are seaside resort towns.

Down

 

a type of bird feather and the finest hairs in the coat of mammals; down improves an animal’s thermoregulation.

Down feathers have a greatly shortened shaft, with many long, soft individual barbs on which are set barbules lacking hamuli. In adult birds they are usually concealed beneath the contour feathers; however, in some birds, such as vultures, the down feathers protrude at the head and neck. A number of birds, for example, ratites and penguins, have no down feathers. Down is used as a filling for pillows and sleeping bags; it is also used to insulate garments. The white down of waterfowl, especially eiders, is highly valued.

The down of sheep, goats, camels, and rabbits and other fur-bearing animals is very soft. As a rule, the wavy fibers have no inner layer. An animal’s underfur, including the underfur of the winter pelage of fur-bearing animals, usually consists of down. The entire hairy covering of rabbits, fine-wooled sheep, and long-haired goat varieties is down. The downy fleece of sheep is 15-25 microns thick. It yields the finest and sturdiest woolen yarn and is used to make the best woolen fabrics. The downy fleece of goats is used mainly for shawls, and camel and rabbit down are used for knitted goods.

N. V. KOKSHAISKII

down

[dau̇n]

(engineering)

Not in operation.

(geology)

Hillock of sand thrown up along the coast by the sea or the wind.

A flat eminence on the top of a hill or mountain.

down

¹

1. of or relating to a train or trains from a more important place or one regarded as higher

2. (of a device, machine, etc., esp a computer) temporarily out of action

3. made in cash

4. American football one of a maximum of four consecutive attempts by one team to advance the ball a total of at least ten yards

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down

²

1. the soft fine feathers with free barbs that cover the body of a bird and prevent loss of heat. In the adult they lie beneath and between the contour feathers

2. another name for eiderdown

3. Botany a fine coating of soft hairs, as on certain leaves, fruits, and seeds

4. any growth or coating of soft fine hair, such as that on the human face

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down

Archaic a hill, esp a sand dune

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Down

1. a district of SE Northern Ireland, in Co. Down. Pop.: 65 195 (2003 est.). Area: 649 sq. km (250 sq. miles)

2. a historical county of SE Northern Ireland, on the Irish Sea: generally hilly, rising to the Mountains of Mourne: in 1973 it was replaced for administrative purposes by the districts of Ards, Banbridge, Castlereagh, Down, Newry and Mourne, North Down, and part of Lisburn. Area: 2466 sq. km (952 sq. miles)

down

(1)

Not operating. "The up escalator is down" is considered a humorous thing to say, and "The elevator is down" always means "The elevator isn't working" and never refers to what floor the elevator is on. With respect to computers, this term has passed into the mainstream; the extension to other kinds of machine is still hackish.

down

(2)

"go down" To stop functioning; usually said of the system. The message from the console that every hacker hates to hear from the operator is "System going down in 5 minutes".

down

(3)

"take down", "bring down" To deactivate purposely, usually for repair work or PM. "I'm taking the system down to work on that bug in the tape drive." Occasionally one hears the word "down" by itself used as a verb in this sense.

See crash; opposite: up.

down

A computer that ceases to operate due to hardware or software failure. A communications line is down when it is unable to transfer data.