I.down1[美 daʊn, 英 daʊn]副down often appears as the second element of certain verb structures in English (back down, clamp down, tone down, etc). For translations, see the relevant verb entry (back, clamp, tone, etc).
Settlers, many of whom were of limited financial means to begin with, were forced to draw down the stocks of provisions which they carried with them to their new homesteads.
The term is also used when a large number of depositors in countries with deposit insurance draw down their balances below the limit for deposit insurance.
The government was forced to draw down foreign exchange reserves sharply in 1998 to meet foreign debt obligations, putting further pressure on the kwacha and inflation.
The initial investment allows a community to draw down local water tables when and where necessary without exacerbating drought problems at other times.