Write–down

a reduction of the entered value of an -sset account.
the procedure of reducing the recorded value of an -sset, either by estimate or as a plan.
to trace or form (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means; inscribe:
write your name on the board.
to express or communicate in writing; give a written account of.
to fill in the blank sp-ces of (a printed form) with writing:
to write a check.
to execute or produce by setting down words, figures, etc.:
to write two copies of a letter.
to compose and produce in words or characters duly set down:
to write a letter to a friend.
to produce as author or composer:
to write a sonnet; to write a symphony.
to trace significant characters on, or mark or cover with writing.
to cause to be apparent or unmistakable:
honesty is written on his face.
computers. to transfer (information, data, programs, etc.) from storage to secondary storage or an output medium.
stock exchange. to sell (options).
to underwrite.
to trace or form characters, words, etc., with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means, or as a pen or the like does:
he writes with a pen.
to write as a profession or occupation: she writes for the daily inquirer.
to express ideas in writing.
to write a letter or letters, or communicate by letter:
write if you get work.
to compose or work as a writer or author.
computers. to write into a secondary storage device or output medium.
write down,

to set down in writing; record; note.
to direct one’s writing to a less intelligent reader or audience:
he writes down to the public.

write in,

to vote for (a candidate not listed on the ballot) by writing his or her name on the ballot.
to include in or add to a text by writing:
do not write in corrections on the galley.
to request something by mail:
if interested, please write in for details.

write off,

to cancel an entry in an account, as an unpaid and uncollectable debt.
to regard as worthless, lost, obsolete, etc.; decide to forget:
to write off their bad experience.
to amortize:
the new equipment was written off in three years.

write out,

to put into writing.
to write in full form; state completely.
to exhaust the capacity or resources of by excessive writing:
he’s just another author who has written himself out.

write up,

to put into writing, especially in full detail:
write up a report.
to present to public notice in a written description or account.
accounting. to make an excessive valuation of (an -sset).

contemporary examples

inventing settlers to scuttle peace talks gershom gorenberg july 28, 2013
justin cronin: how i write noah charney october 9, 2012
into the grindr of the gay dating game: s-x, death, and aging in ‘stealing sam’ tim teeman september 17, 2014
five girl-power books exactly like sheryl sandberg’s ‘lean in’ sean macaulay march 28, 2013
amazon stock may be up, but the company still doesn’t make any money daniel gross october 24, 2013

historical examples

it is never too late to mend charles reade
an interpretation of friends worship n. jean toomer
the coming of the king james hocking
holy in christ andrew murray
the science of human nature william henry pyle

verb (adverb)
(transitive) to set down in writing
(transitive) to harm or belittle by writing about (a person) in derogatory terms
(intransitive; foll by to or for) to write in a simplified way (to a supposedly less cultured readership)
(transitive) (accounting) to decrease the book value of (an -sset)
noun
(accounting) a reduction made in the book value of an -sset
verb writes, writing, wrote, written
to draw or mark (symbols, words, etc) on a surface, usually paper, with a pen, pencil, or other instrument
to describe or record (ideas, experiences, etc) in writing
to compose (a letter) to or correspond regularly with (a person, organization, etc)
(transitive; may take a clause as object) to say or communicate by letter: he wrote that he was on his way
(transitive) (informal, mainly us & canadian) to send a letter to (a person, etc)
to write (words) in cursive as opposed to printed style
(transitive) to be sufficiently familiar with (a specified style, language, etc) to use it in writing
to be the author or composer of (books, music, etc)
(transitive) to fill in the details for (a doc-ment, form, etc)
(transitive) to draw up or draft
(transitive) to produce by writing: he wrote ten pages
(transitive) to show clearly: envy was written all over his face
(transitive) to spell, inscribe, or ent-tle
(transitive) to ordain or prophesy: it is written
(transitive) to sit (an examination)
(intransitive) to produce writing as specified
(computing) to record (data) in a location in a storage device compare read1 (sense 16)
(transitive) compare underwrite (sense 3a)
v.

for men use to write an evill turne in marble stone, but a good turne in the dust. [more, 1513]

to write (something) off (1680s) originally was from accounting; figurative sense is recorded from 1889. write-in “unlisted candidate” is recorded from 1932.
set down in writing, record, as in please write down your new address and phone number. [ late 1500s ]
reduce in rank, value, or price, as in they’ve written down their -ssets. [ late 1800s ]
write in a simple or condescending style, as in these science texts are written down for high-school students. [ second half of 1800s ]

write down
write in
write off
write one’s own ticket
write out
write up