to run down
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To cease to go or act from lack of motive force, or a clock when the spring is fully unwound.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to run down” mean?
To cease to go or act from lack of motive force, or a clock when the spring is fully unwound.
Is “to run down” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.