Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DOWN, n.² [Sw. dun; D. duin, a sandy hill; G. düne; Fr. dune, plur. dunes; Arm. dunenn, or tunenn. In French, dunette is the highest part of the poop of a ship, and as this appears to be a diminutive of dune, it proves that the primary sense is a hill or elevation.]

1. A bank or elevation of sand, thrown up by the sea. – Encyc.
2. A large open plain, primarily on elevated land. Sheep feeding on the downs. – Milton.