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• drop-in
  drop-in

  noun

  Also a person who or thing that pays an unexpected or uninvited visit.
• drop in
  drop in

  verb

  surfing to intrude on a wave that another surfer is already riding

drop-in

American  

[drop-in] / ˈdrɒpˌɪn /

noun

1. Informal. Also a person who or thing that pays an unexpected or uninvited visit.

   a feeder for squirrels, raccoons, and other drop-ins.

2. Informal. a social gathering at which the guests are not expected to stay long.

   Be sure to stop by our house for a glass of eggnog at our Christmas drop-in.

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adjective

1. provided for short-term patronage.

   a drop-in shelter for people who are moving through homelessness.

2. requiring only insertion to be ready for use.

   a drop-in battery pack.

drop in British  

verb

1. surfing to intrude on a wave that another surfer is already riding

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Etymology

Origin of drop-in

First recorded in 1810–20; noun and adjective use of verb phrase drop in

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drop-in drop in

“It’s essentially a drop-in molecule that can piggyback on existing infrastructure,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

Additionally, 308 people accessed its drop-in cancer support and wellbeing centre without a referral.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

And Lord's is also continuing with its plans to introduce drop-in surfaces.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The MCC is also experimenting with drop-in pitches, which are heavily used in Australia.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

He’s feeling good enough to come to Friday night drop-in at the mosque?

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

While Reddit may have benefited from this lag as its revenue was improving, the lower-than-expected forecast and drop in daily active uniques in the U.S. suggests the opposite is occurring, the analysts said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

By May 2026, that figure was 8%, a staggering drop in such a short period.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

The soaring costs of gas and other fuels kept inflation high despite a year-on-year drop in the price of items including food, non-alcoholic drinks and clothing, the INE said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Shares of Coinbase Global fell 11% to $143.54, their biggest drop in more than a year after a brazen act of cyber theft at a major rival.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Hint: of the seven major explanations on the list, only three can be shown to have contributed to the drop in crime.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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Related Words

• come by
• come over
• pop in
• turn up

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