What is "to throw one's self down"

Throw \Throw\, v. t. [imp. Threw (thr[udd]); p. p. Thrown (thr[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. Throwing.] [OE. [thorn]rowen, [thorn]rawen, to throw, to twist, AS. [thorn]r[=a]wan to twist, to whirl; akin to D. draaijen, G. drehen, OHG. dr[=a]jan, L. terebra an auger, gimlet, Gr. ? to bore, to turn, ? to pierce, ? a hole. Cf. Thread, Trite, Turn, v. t.]

1. To fling, cast, or hurl with a certain whirling motion of the arm, to throw a ball; -- distinguished from to toss, or to bowl.

2. To fling or cast in any manner; to drive to a distance from the hand or from an engine; to propel; to send; as, to throw stones or dust with the hand; a cannon throws a ball; a fire engine throws a stream of water to extinguish flames.

3. To drive by violence; as, a vessel or sailors may be thrown upon a rock.

4. (Mil.) To cause to take a strategic position; as, he threw a detachment of his army across the river.

5. To overturn; to prostrate in wrestling; as, a man throws his antagonist.

6. To cast, as dice; to venture at dice.

   Set less than thou throwest.
   --Shak.

7. To put on hastily; to spread carelessly.

   O'er his fair limbs a flowery vest he threw.
   --Pope.

8. To divest or strip one's self of; to put off.

   There the snake throws her enameled skin.
   --Shak.

9. (Pottery) To form or shape roughly on a throwing engine, or potter's wheel, as earthen vessels.

10. To give forcible utterance to; to cast; to vent.

    I have thrown A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth.
    --Shak.

11. To bring forth; to produce, as young; to bear; -- said especially of rabbits.

12. To twist two or more filaments of, as silk, so as to form one thread; to twist together, as singles, in a direction contrary to the twist of the singles themselves; -- sometimes applied to the whole class of operations by which silk is prepared for the weaver. --Tomlinson. To throw away.

    1. To lose by neglect or folly; to spend in vain; to bestow without a compensation; as, to throw away time; to throw away money.

    2. To reject; as, to throw away a good book, or a good offer. To throw back.

       1. To retort; to cast back, as a reply.

       2. To reject; to refuse.

    3. To reflect, as light. To throw by, to lay aside; to discard; to neglect as useless; as, to throw by a garment. To throw down, to subvert; to overthrow; to destroy; as, to throw down a fence or wall. To throw in.

       1. To inject, as a fluid.

       2. To put in; to deposit with others; to contribute; as, to throw in a few dollars to help make up a fund; to throw in an occasional comment.

       3. To add without enumeration or valuation, as something extra to clinch a bargain. To throw off.

          1. To expel; to free one's self from; as, to throw off a disease.

          2. To reject; to discard; to abandon; as, to throw off all sense of shame; to throw off a dependent.

          3. To make a start in a hunt or race. [Eng.] To throw on, to cast on; to load. To throw one's self down, to lie down neglectively or suddenly. To throw one's self on or To throw one's self upon.

             1. To fall upon.

             2. To resign one's self to the favor, clemency, or sustain power of (another); to repose upon. To throw out.

                1. To cast out; to reject or discard; to expel. ``The other two, whom they had thrown out, they were content should enjoy their exile.''
                   --Swift. ``The bill was thrown out.''
                   --Swift.

                2. To utter; to give utterance to; to speak; as, to throw out insinuation or observation. ``She throws out thrilling shrieks.''
                   --Spenser.

             3. To distance; to leave behind.
                --Addison.

    4. To cause to project; as, to throw out a pier or an abutment.

    5. To give forth; to emit; as, an electric lamp throws out a brilliant light.

    6. To put out; to confuse; as, a sudden question often throws out an orator. To throw over, to abandon the cause of; to desert; to discard; as, to throw over a friend in difficulties. To throw up.

       1. To resign; to give up; to demit; as, to throw up a commission. ``Experienced gamesters throw up their cards when they know that the game is in the enemy's hand.''
          --Addison.

       2. To reject from the stomach; to vomit.

       3. To construct hastily; as, to throw up a breastwork of earth.