countdown
[ kount-doun ]
/ ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn /
noun
the backward counting in fixed time units from the initiation of a project, as a rocket launching, with the moment of firing designated as zero.
the final preparations made during this period.
a period of increasing activity, tension, or anxiety, as before a deadline.
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Nearby words
Origin of countdown
1950–55, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase count down
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for countdown
British Dictionary definitions for countdown
countdown
/ (ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn) /
noun
the act of counting backwards to time a critical operation exactly, such as the launching of a rocket or the detonation of explosives
verb count down (intr, adverb)
to count numbers backwards towards zero, esp in timing such a critical operation
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for countdown
countdown
1953, American English, in early use especially of launches of rockets or missiles, from count (v.) + down.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper