Etymologically
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shutdown

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 01:53. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /ˈʃʌtdaʊn/[1]

Etymology

It is a noun formed from English shut + down,[2] from the phrasal verb shut down.[3][4][5] Dictionary.com marks it as an Americanism.[4] Etymonline dates the verb shut down, to stop working or be idle, by 1877, after the noun.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A shutting down; the closing of a factory or the like for a time: 1857, in the Knickerbocker.[3][2] Dictionary.com dates it to 1855–60, and Merriam-Webster's first known use is 1888.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word was used especially of factory work by 1884.[2] From 1911 it was applied to the stopping of a machine or installation, especially because of a fault,[3][2] and since 1945 in physics to stopping the chain reaction in a nuclear reactor.[3][2] From 1959 it also meant the end of a television or radio channel's broadcasting for the day.[3] In recent British black slang a shutdown is an outstanding success, such as a performance or a song, as in a 2016 track by Skepta.[6]

Timeline

  • 1857 – the closing of a factory or business for a time.[3][2]
  • 1884 – especially of factory work.[2]
  • 1911 – the stopping of a machine or installation.[3][2]
  • 1945 – the stopping of a nuclear reactor's chain reaction.[3][2]
  • 1959 – the end of a station's broadcasting for the day.[3]
  • 2016 – in British slang, an outstanding success.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The closing of a factory, business or service, usually for a time: The strike forced a two-week shutdown of the plant.[7][5][3]
  2. The stopping of a machine, system or installation, often because of a fault.[5][3]
  3. (physics) The stopping of the chain reaction in a nuclear reactor.[3][7]
  • shutoff
  • shutout
  • shut
  • down

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Green, Jonathon (2010), Green's Dictionary of Slang, London: Chambers; digital ed. 2016–, https://greensdictofslang.com
  7. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins