Dictionary.com
definitions

shutdown

[shuht-doun]
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR shutdown ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a shutting down, as of a factory, school, or machine; a termination or suspension of operations, services, or business activity: a partial government shutdown; an emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor.

RELATED CONTENT

dog walkRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
fooRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

closure, stoppage, closedown, cessation, abandonment

Nearby words

  1. shut up,
  2. shut-eye,
  3. shut-in,
  4. shut-off,
  5. shut-out bid,
  6. shute,
  7. shute, nevil,
  8. shuteye,
  9. shutoff,
  10. shutout

Origin of shutdown

1855–60, Americanism; noun use of verb phrase shut down
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shutdown

British Dictionary definitions for shutdown

shutdown

noun

  1. the closing of a factory, shop, etc
  2. (as modifier)shutdown costs

verb shut down (adverb)

to cease or cause to cease operation
(tr) to close by lowering
(tr) (of fog) to descend and envelop
(intr; foll by on or upon) informal to put a stop to; clamp down on
(tr) to reduce the power level of (a nuclear reactor) to the lowest possible value
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 shutdown

shutdown

n.

also shut-down, 1884, of factories, etc.; 1911 of machines; from shut (v.) + down (adv.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper