down under

American

Or Down Under

noun

Australia or New Zealand.

adverb

in, to, or into Australia or New Zealand.

down under British

noun

Australia or New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

in or to Australia or New Zealand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of down under

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

down under

Participants briefly cooled down under a cold shower halfway through the session.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

A 16-0 humiliation down under in 2025 was the end of her reign.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Inspired by watching Aussie Rules during his time down under, he prioritised kicking accuracy, asking players to try to catch the ball above their head under the high ball.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

The chemicals do not break down under normal environmental conditions and research has shown the toxins are in dangerous concentrations in water, soil and food and can also linger in the body.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

She strokes his face, running her fingers around his dished cheek and down under his chin.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023