Biz Idiom of the Day- "downsize" downsize Definition: To reduce the number of workers in a company; to fire large numbers of employees. Example: 1) The new corporate president said he would downsize relentlessly in order to save money and raise the stock price of the firm. 2) I was downsized in April, and I've been looking for work ever since. Etymology: This term emerged in the 1980s, when many large companies eliminated employees in order to increase their stock prices. http://www.peakenglish.com/slang/dailybiz.jsp