drawdown

[draw-doun]

noun

a lowering of water surface level, as in a well.

a reduction or depletion: a drawdown of weapons in an arms-limitation plan.

Origin of drawdown

1780–90, for literal sense; draw + down¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for drawdown

Contemporary Examples of drawdown

Obama made clear where he stood when he quickly undercut his $120 billion investment by announcing a drawdown.
How Obama Lost Afghanistan
Elise Jordan
April 5, 2014
Your novel spans 150 years, but given the drawdown in Afghanistan it feels particularly pertinent to the present day.
Colum McCann Talks New Novel ‘TransAtlantic’ and Narrative4
Phil Klay
June 14, 2013
Former Washington Post reporter Ellen Knickmeyer on his drawdown speech.
Will Obama’s Troops Plan Work?
The Daily Beast
June 23, 2011
The drawdown would be modest this year, and next year would come only after the summer fighting season.
The Politics Behind Obama’s Decision
John Barry
June 23, 2011
The debate now is between a drawdown of 5,000 and about 15,000.
Don’t Abandon Afghanistan!
June 9, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for drawdown

drawdown

noun

a depletion or reduction, for example of supplies

a continuous decline in an investment or fund, usually expressed as a percentage between its highest and lowest levels

the intentional draining of a body of water such as a lake or reservoir, to a given depth

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

Word Origin and History for drawdown

of troops, by 1991, in reference to the end of the Cold War; from draw (v.) + down (adv.). Earlier of wells (c.1900).

Science definitions for drawdown

drawdown

[drô′doun′]

A lowering of the water level in a reservoir or other body of water, especially as the result of withdrawal.

The difference in elevation between the level of water in a well and the level of groundwater in the area in which the well is located.