To turn off an electrical device or system in a controlled, safe manner.
To turn off a machine or computer properly so it stops using electricity.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To turn off an electronic device or system safely and completely.
"Please power down your laptop before placing it in the overhead compartment."
HAL, power down the life support systems in the pod bay.
— 2001: A Space Odyssey, film directed by Stanley Kubrick (1968) — paraphrase of dialogue
For a system or machine to cease operating, losing power.
"The backup generator powered down after the mains electricity was restored."
Reducing power to zero in a downward direction — the 'down' reflects the drop in energy level.
To turn off a machine or computer properly so it stops using electricity.
Associated with technology — computers, servers, spacecraft, nuclear reactors, etc. Implies a proper shutdown sequence rather than simply unplugging. Can be intransitive ('the system powered down') or transitive ('power down the reactor'). Common in science fiction as well as real technical contexts.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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