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pulldown

American  
[pool-doun] / ˈpʊlˌdaʊn /

noun

Movies.
  1. a mechanism that intermittently advances the film through the film gate of a camera or projector.


Usage

What does pull-down mean? Pull-down describes something that you tug from a higher to lower position, as in Pull-down menus on mobile phones can be so tiny that they’re hard to use. The adjective pull-down comes from the verb phrase pull down, while pulldown is the mechanism that allows you to pull something down. Example: This house has a pull-down bed to save space for furniture.

Etymology

Origin of pulldown

First recorded in 1950–55; noun use of verb phrase pull down

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.

So costs and corruption are part one, then the rest of the pulldown menu is dealing with all the power centers.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

There is also a pulldown upper bunk if you have two passengers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

As the continents continue to squeeze together, the oceanic crust is eventually replaced by continental crust, the source of the pulldown signal.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2024

The big surprise to us was the energy pulldown.

From Reuters • Aug. 10, 2022

I reckoned that $5000 would be a good-enough pulldown on the race, and I didn't want to take any chances on being shut out of the game down at Alexander Island.

From Taking Chances by Cullen, Clarence L.