English · Word Candidate

countdown

/ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: countdowns · countdowning · countdowned

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The acts of preparation carried out during this period.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To count down.

Verb

Examples

This was accomplished in the old system by polling a software variable representing the number of prebleach bin and issuing a software command to trigger the AOM once the variable has countdowned to zero.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “countdown” mean?

A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

Is “countdown” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.