adown, adv. and prep. arch.
(əˈdaʊn)
Forms: 1 of d{uacu}ne, 1–2 ad{uacu}n(e, 2 odune, 3 adun, 3–5 adoun(e, 4–6 adowne, 4– adown.
[OE. of d{uacu}ne off the mount, de monte (see down n.), cf. OFr. à val:—L. ad vallem to the valley, used in the same sense. As early as 2, the reduced form a-dūn was aphetized to dūn, doun, down, which soon became the ordinary prose form. But adown never became obs., and still survives as a poetic variant of down.]
A. adv.
1. To a lower place or situation; downward, down. With vbs. of motion, and pleonastically with vbs. signifying descent; as fall, sink, alight, sit, kneel.
| c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Luke iv. 9 Ȝif sunu godes arð, asend ðeh hiona of-dune [Lindisf. aduna, W. Sax. nyþer]. a 1000 Cynewulf Judith 291 H{iacu} ðá hreowiᵹ móde Wurpon hira wǽpen of d{uacu}ne. c 1000 ælfric Man. Astron. 16 Se ne gæð næfre adune under þyssere eorðan. a 1090 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1083 And þa oðre ða dura bræcon þær adune and eodon inn. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 61 Þe engles adun follon in to þe þosternesse hellen. 1280 Havelok 567 And caste þe knaue adoun so harde. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 717 Eyþer enpeynede him with al ys miȝt{revsc} to dyngen oþer adoun. c 1400 Sege off Melayne 1480 He tuke his spere owt of reste adownn. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. clxxviii. 159 The brayne fel adoun vpon the ground. 1596 Spenser F.Q. i. vii. 24 Thrise did she sinke adowne in deadly swownd. 1717 Parnell Poet. Wks. (1833) 17 And drops his limbs adown. 1808 Scott Marm. v. viii, His gorgeous collar hung adown. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 418 Till the wretch falls adown with whirling brain. |
† 2. In a lower place; esp. on earth, here below. Obs.
| c 1000 ælfric Man. Astron. 16 On winterliere tide hi beoð on niht uppe, & on dæᵹe adune. c 1386 Chaucer Manciple's T. 1 Whan Phebus duelt her in this erthe adoun. 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. Prol. i. viii, O May thou Mirrour of Soles..Till eurie thing adown respirature [= refreshing]. |
† 3. fig. To a lower condition or state. Hence, to bring adown: to bring to an end. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 205 Ðet blisfule bern..ðet þuruh his holi passiun werp þene deouel adun. 1205 Layamon 19686 A þat Sæxisce men · setten us a-dune [1250 a-doune]. c 1230 Ancren Riwle 266 Buh adun þine heorte. 1384 Chaucer L.G.W. 250 Ester ley thou thyn meknesse al a-doun. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xi. 94 And with þe pyk putte adoune..Lordes þat lyuen as hem lust. c 1430 Syr Generides 5418 To bring al this werre a doune. 1587 Myrroure for Mag., Morgan vii. 1, If once I might put her adowne. |
† 4. fig. In a lower condition or state. Obs.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 376 Monye heye men of þe lond in prison he huld strong..And ȝyf þat eny hym wraþþede, adoun he was anon. |
B. prep. (with a defining obj.)
1. In a descending direction upon or along.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 764 Adoune the staire anon right tho she went. 1596 Spenser F.Q. i. vii. 31 [His] scaly taile was stretcht adowne his back full lowe. 1710 Philips Pastorals i. 34 To chase the lingring Sun adown the Sky. 1725 Pope Odyss. xvii. 365 Adown his cheek a tear unbidden stole. 1812 Byron Ch. Har. i. lxxxix, Fresh legions pour adown the Pyrenees. 1868 Hawthorne Amer. Note-Bks. (1879) I. 50 There is also a beautiful view from the mansion, adown the Kennebec. |
2. fig. Of time.
| 1839 Lowell Threnodia Wks. 1879, 2 He did but float a little way Adown the stream of time. 1877 M. Arnold New Sirens in Poems I. 40 Adown life's latter days. |