noun
writing from top to bottom
Refers to the physical act of writing vertically, or the resulting text that runs from top to bottom.
縦書きの原稿用紙に書き下しで書く。
Write vertically from top to bottom on the manuscript paper.
彼は一気に書き下しで論文を仕上げた。
He finished the paper in one go, writing without a pause.
noun
translation of classical Chinese into Japanese
Abbreviation of 書き下し文. Refers to the practice of rendering classical Chinese texts into Japanese word order with kana annotations.
See also: 書き下し文
漢文の授業では、書き下しを使って内容を理解する。
In classical Chinese class, we use the Japanese translation to understand the content.
The full term for the translation of classical Chinese into Japanese; 書き下し is its abbreviation.
Compound of 書き (kaki, continuative form of 書く 'to write') + 下し (kudashi, continuative form of 下す 'to lower, to bring down'). The exact semantic extension to 'translation of classical Chinese' is uncertain, but likely relates to 'writing down' the Chinese text into Japanese order.