blowdown

[ bloh-doun ]

noun

1. Automotive. a procedure for measuring the compression within an engine to identify certain mechanical defects, such as worn piston rings.
2. a tree or stand of timber that has been blown down by the wind.

blowdown

/ ˈbləʊˌdaʊn /

noun

1. an accident in a nuclear reactor in which a cooling pipe bursts causing the loss of essential coolant

Word History and Origins

Origin of blowdown¹

1880–85 for earlier sense; noun use of verb phrase blow down

Example Sentences

Fallen logs and blowdown were rotting into the debris that feeds the soil and next generation of trees.

From Seattle Times

Tip Top volunteers say it is a miracle that no one was killed during the incident that has come to be referred to as “The Blowdown.”

From New York Times

Upon clearing the blowdown, we found a copse of huckleberry bushes and several runners converged for fistfuls of the juicy, purple berries.

From Seattle Times

We started a climb and found blowdown — an area where wind knocked over large stands of fire-ravaged timber — that we crawled over and under.

From Seattle Times

Many trails may have blowdown — trees or branches knocked down in recent storms.

From Washington Times