drop Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a shape that is spherical and small
    bead; pearl.
    • he studied the shapes of low-viscosity drops
    • beads of sweat on his forehead
  2. noun a small indefinite quantity (especially of a liquid)
    driblet; drib.
    • he had a drop too much to drink
    • a drop of each sample was analyzed
    • there is not a drop of pity in that man
    • years afterward, they would pay the blood-money, driblet by driblet"--Kipling
  3. noun a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity
    free fall; dip; fall.
    • a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index
    • there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery
    • a dip in prices
    • when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall
  4. noun a steep high face of rock
    drop-off; cliff.
    • he stood on a high cliff overlooking the town
    • a steep drop
  5. noun a predetermined hiding place for the deposit and distribution of illicit goods (such as drugs or stolen property)
  6. noun a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity
    fall.
    • it was a miracle that he survived the drop from that height
  7. noun a curtain that can be lowered and raised onto a stage from the flies; often used as background scenery
    drop cloth; drop curtain.
  8. noun a central depository where things can be left or picked up
  9. noun the act of dropping something
    • they expected the drop would be successful
  10. verb let fall to the ground
    • Don't drop the dishes
  11. verb to fall vertically
    • the bombs are dropping on enemy targets
  12. verb go down in value
    • Stock prices dropped
  13. verb fall or descend to a lower place or level
    drop down; sink.
    • He sank to his knees
  14. verb terminate an association with
    • drop him from the Republican ticket
  15. verb utter with seeming casualness; drop names"
    • drop a hint
  16. verb stop pursuing or acting
    knock off.
    • drop a lawsuit
    • knock it off!
  17. verb leave or unload
    unload; drop off; put down; set down; discharge.
    • unload the cargo
    • drop off the passengers at the hotel
  18. verb cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
    fell; strike down; cut down.
    • strike down a tree
    • Lightning struck down the hikers
  19. verb lose (a game)
    • The Giants dropped 11 of their first 13
  20. verb pay out
    expend; spend.
    • spend money
  21. verb lower the pitch of (musical notes)
    flatten.
  22. verb hang freely
    dangle; swing.
    • the ornaments dangled from the tree
    • The light dropped from the ceiling
  23. verb stop associating with
    send packing; dismiss; send away.
    • They dropped her after she had a child out of wedlock
  24. verb let or cause to fall in drops
    dribble; drip.
    • dribble oil into the mixture
  25. verb get rid of
    shake off; shed; throw away; throw off; cast off; cast; throw.
    • he shed his image as a pushy boss
    • shed your clothes
  26. verb take (a drug, especially LSD), by mouth
    • She dropped acid when she was a teenager
  27. verb omit (a letter or syllable) in speaking or writing
    • New Englanders drop their post-vocalic r's
  28. verb leave undone or leave out
    pretermit; omit; overleap; leave out; overlook; miss; neglect.
    • How could I miss that typo?
    • The workers on the conveyor belt miss one out of ten
  29. verb change from one level to another
    • She dropped into army jargon
  30. verb fall or sink into a state of exhaustion or death
    • shop til you drop
  31. verb grow worse
    devolve; degenerate; deteriorate.
    • Her condition deteriorated
    • Conditions in the slums degenerated
    • The discussion devolved into a shouting match
  32. verb give birth; used for animals
    • The cow dropped her calf this morning

WordNet

Drop noun
Etymology
OE. drope, AS. dropa; akin to OS. dropo, D. drop, OHG. tropo, G. tropfen, Icel. dropi, Sw. droppe; and Fr. AS. dreópan to drip, drop; akin to OS. driopan, D. druipen, OHG. triofan, G. triefen, Icel. drjpa. Cf. Drip, Droop.
Definitions
  1. The quantity of fluid which falls in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a drop of water.
    With minute drops from off the eaves. Milton.
    As dear to me as are the ruddy drops That visit my sad heart. Shak.
    That drop of peace divine. Keble.
  2. That which resembles, or that which hangs like, a liquid drop; as a hanging diamond ornament, an earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, a sugarplum (sometimes medicated), or a kind of shot or slug.
  3. (Arch.) (a) Same as Gutta. (b) Any small pendent ornament.
  4. Whatever is arranged to drop, hang, or fall from an elevated position; also, a contrivance for lowering something; as: (a) A door or platform opening downward; a trap door; that part of the gallows on which a culprit stands when he is to be hanged; hence, the gallows itself. (b) A machine for lowering heavy weights, as packages, coal wagons, etc., to a ship's deck. (c) A contrivance for temporarily lowering a gas jet. (d) A curtain which drops or falls in front of the stage of a theater, etc. (e) A drop press or drop hammer. (f) (Mach.) The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger.
  5. pl. Any medicine the dose of which is measured by drops; as, lavender drops.
  6. (Naut.) The depth of a square sail; -- generally applied to the courses only. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
  7. Act of dropping; sudden fall or descent.
Drop transitive verb
Etymology
OE. droppen, AS. dropan, v. i. See Drop, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Dropped or Dropt; present participle & verbal noun Dropping
Definitions
  1. To pour or let fall in drops; to pour in small globules; to distill. "The trees drop balsam." Creech.
    The recording angel, as he wrote it down, dropped a tear upon the word and blotted it out forever. Sterne.
  2. To cause to fall in one portion, or by one motion, like a drop; to let fall; as, to drop a line in fishing; to drop a courtesy.
  3. To let go; to dismiss; to set aside; to have done with; to discontinue; to forsake; to give up; to omit.
    They suddenly drop't the pursuit. S. Sharp.
    That astonishing ease with which fine ladies drop you and pick you up again. Thackeray.
    The connection had been dropped many years. Sir W. Scott.
    Dropping the too rough H in Hell and Heaven. Tennyson.
  4. To bestow or communicate by a suggestion; to let fall in an indirect, cautious, or gentle manner; as, to drop hint, a word of counsel, etc.
  5. To lower, as a curtain, or the muzzle of a gun, etc.
  6. To send, as a letter; as, please drop me a line, a letter, word.
  7. To give birth to; as, to drop a lamb.
  8. To cover with drops; to variegate; to bedrop.
    Show to the sun their waved coats dropped with gold. Milton.
Drop intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To fall in drops.
    The kindly dew drops from the higher tree, And wets the little plants that lowly dwell. Spenser.
  2. To fall, in general, literally or figuratively; as, ripe fruit drops from a tree; wise words drop from the lips.
    Mutilations of which the meaning has dropped out of memory. H. Spencer.
    When the sound of dropping nuts is heard. Bryant.
  3. To let drops fall; to discharge itself in drops.
    The heavens . . . dropped at the presence of God. Ps. lxviii. 8.
  4. To fall dead, or to fall in death.
    Nothing, says Seneca, so soon reconciles us to the thoughts of our own death, as the prospect of one friend after another dropping round us. Digby.
  5. To come to an end; to cease; to pass out of mind; as, the affair dropped. Pope.
  6. To come unexpectedly; -- with in or into; as, my old friend dropped in a moment. Steele.
    Takes care to drop in when he thinks you are just seated. Spectator.
  7. To fall or be depressed; to lower; as, the point of the spear dropped a little.
  8. To fall short of a mark. R.
    Often it drops or overshoots by the disproportion of distance. Collier.
  9. To be deep in extent; to descend perpendicularly; as, her main topsail drops seventeen yards.

Webster 1913