Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An downward shift of tone between the syllables or words of a tonal language.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

down +‎ step

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word downstep.

Examples

  • She walked downstep toward the dining place, away from the chimney.

    The Ringworld Throne Niven, Larry 1996

  • The Americans were on the downstep of the hill with their prisoners on the higher ground.

    Sergeant York And His People

  • In a PLoS-One paper, Steven H. Collins (D.partment of Biomechanical Engineering, D.lft University of Technology) and Arthur D. Kuo (D.partments of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan) describe an ingenious new prosthetic foot that uses a microcontroller to guide a device that stores the energy of the downstep and releases it for the upstep, mimicking the natural functioning of unmodified human ankles.

    Boing Boing Cory Doctorow 2010

  • Yep, did that one ... the PS3 defaulted to 1080p to begin with (which the TV rejected) and I had to downstep.

    Geekzone: IT, mobility, wireless and handheld news 2009

  • That being the case, I’ve decided that today is an excellent day to radically downstep my caffeine consumption.

    2008 January 23 « Whatever 2008

  • That being the case, I’ve decided that today is an excellent day to radically downstep my caffeine consumption.

    Various & Sundry, 1/23/08 « Whatever 2008

  • That being the case, I’ve decided that today is an excellent day to radically downstep my caffeine consumption.

    2008 January « Whatever 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.