come down

come down idiom
  1. Lose wealth or position, as in After the market crashed, the Tates really came down in the world. A 1382 translation of the Bible by followers of John Wycliffe had this term: “Come down from glory, sit in thirst” (Jeremiah 48:18).
  2. Become reduced in size or amount, be lowered, as in Interest rates will have to come down before the economy recovers. [Mid-1600s]
  3. Be handed down by inheritance, tradition, or a higher authority. For example, This painting has come down to us from our great-grandparents, or These stories have come down through the generations, or An indictment finally came down. [c. 1400]
  4. Also, go down. Happen, occur, as in What's coming down tonight? [Slang; 1960s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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