[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/countdown/)

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# countdown

noun (a countdown, countdowns)

«countdown» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A countdown is counting backwards to zero, usually before something starts, like a rocket launch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#m1)
2. A countdown is the time just before an important event. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science and space lessons, rockets launch after a countdown: 10, 9, 8 ... 1, lift-off! In maths, counting down practises subtraction and number order. In everyday life there are countdowns to New Year, holidays and birthdays. Phrases: the countdown begins, countdown to, a countdown clock.

### Examples

- The countdown began: ten, nine, eight ... [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x1)
- After the countdown, the rocket blasted off. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x2)
- We did a countdown to the New Year. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x3)
- The countdown to the holidays has started! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x4)
- A countdown clock showed how many minutes were left. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x5)
- Count down from 20 in twos: 20, 18, 16 ... [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x6)
- The class shouted the countdown together. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/#x7)

### Note

Countable noun, one word: countdown. The verb is two words: count down (We counted down from ten). In maths, a countdown means each number is one less (or a step less) than the one before.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «countdown» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/countdown/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«countdown» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/countdown.html) on Mova free.