This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
drop
[ drop ]
/ drɒp /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a small quantity of liquid that falls or is produced in a more or less spherical mass; a liquid globule:The steam condensed and formed drops of water on the window.
the quantity contained in a globule or bead of liquid that forms or falls:The instructions say to place two drops of iodine on the piece of potato.
a very small quantity of liquid compared to a standard or typical portion: I'll have a little more tea, just a drop.
a minute quantity of anything: not even a drop of mercy.
Usually drops .
- liquid medicine given in a dose or form of globules from a medicine dropper.
- a solution for dilating the pupils of the eyes, administered to the eyes in globules by a medicine dropper.
a limited amount of an alcoholic beverage: He occasionally takes a drop after dinner.
the distance or depth to which anything drops: a ten-foot drop to the ground.
a steep slope: a short drop to the lake.
a decline in amount, degree, quality, value, etc.: a drop in prices.
a small, usually spherical, piece of candy; lozenge: a lemon drop.
a central depository where items are left or transmitted: a mail drop.
a predesignated place where secret letters or packages can be left to be picked up by another person without attracting attention, as in espionage or drug dealing.
something resembling or likened to a liquid globule, as certain ornaments, a spherical earring, etc.
a pendant.
a descent by parachute.
an instance of dropping supplies by parachute or an amount of supplies so dropped.
something that drops or is used for dropping.
a group of persons dropped by parachute, as the personnel dropped by parachute during one military action.
Theater.
a gallows.
a slit or opening into which something can be dropped, as in a mailbox.
(in a casino) the income from the sale of chips.
Informal. music, software, sneakers, or other highly anticipated consumer products newly released to the public, or the release itself of such an item:Her latest music video drop created a lot of buzz.We don’t know for certain why the drop was postponed.
Also called dropped i·tem . (in a video game) an item acquired by a player character from a defeated nonplayer character: The mobs in this zone have pretty mediocre drops.
Informal. (in EDM and other dance music)
- Also called beat drop . a point of release in a song when, after a buildup of tension during which pitch and pace increase and the bass diminishes or disappears, the bass beat resumes.
- a climactic section of a song which begins with the resumption of the bass beat after a buildup section during which the bass has receded or diminished.
a small flag, usually of enameled metal, that is a visual indicator in an annunciator or other device meant to signal or alert.
Furniture. an applied ornament resembling a pendant.
Architecture. gutta (def. 2).
Nautical. the vertical dimension amidships of any sail that is bent to a standing yard.Compare hoist (def. 6a).
Also called drop pan·el . (in reinforced-concrete-slab construction) a thickened portion of the ceiling around a column head.
Horology. the free motion of an escape wheel between successive checks by the pallet.
the newborn young of an animal.
verb (used without object), dropped or (Archaic) dropt, drop·ping.
to fall in globules or small portions, as water or other liquid: Rain drops from the clouds.
to fall vertically; have an abrupt descent.
to sink or fall to the ground, floor, or bottom as if inanimate.
to fall lower in condition, degree, value, etc.; diminish or lessen; sink: The prices dropped sharply.
to come to an end; cease; lapse: There the matter dropped.
to fall or move to a position that is lower, farther back, inferior, etc.: to drop back in line;to drop to the rear.
to withdraw; quit (often followed by out or from): to drop out of a race;to drop from a game.
to pass or enter without effort into some condition, activity, or the like: to drop into sleep;to drop into a habit.
to make an unexpected or unannounced stop at a place; pay an informal visit or call (usually followed by in, by, or over): Since we're in the neighborhood, why don't we drop in at my brother's?
to cease to appear or be seen; vanish: to drop from sight or notice.
to fall wounded, dead, etc.: A thousand men dropped in the battle.
to squat or crouch, as a dog at the sight of game.
to move gently, as carried by the tide or a light wind (usually followed by down).
Informal. (of consumer products) to be released to the public, sometimes at an announced time or as a limited edition to stoke interest; launch: When the app dropped, I decided to give it a test run.New patterns and designs drop every six weeks, ensuring their bamboo baby clothes remain a hot ticket.
verb (used with object), dropped or (Archaic) dropt, drop·ping.
to let fall in drops or small portions: to drop lemon juice into tea.
to let or cause to fall.
to cause or allow to sink to a lower position.
to cause to decrease in value, amount, quality, etc.; reduce.
to utter or express casually or incidentally: to drop a hint.
to write and send: Drop me a note.
to bring to the ground by a blow or shot.
to set down or unload, as from a ship, car, etc. (often followed by off): Drop me at the corner.
to omit (a letter or syllable) in pronunciation or writing: He dropped his h's.
to lower (the voice) in pitch or loudness.
to cease to keep up or have to do with: I dropped the subject.Will you drop your old friends if you win the lottery?
to cease to employ, admit as a member, or include, as on a list; dismiss: to drop an employee from the payroll;to drop three members of the club who have not paid their dues.
to withdraw or cease to pursue: The police dropped the charges against the suspect.
Sports.
- to throw, shoot, hit, kick, or roll (a ball, puck, etc.) through or into a basket, hole, or other goal: He dropped the ball through the basket for two points.
- to lose (a game or contest): They dropped two games in a row and were eliminated from the tournament.
Football.
- to drop-kick (a ball).
- to score with a drop kick.
(of animals) to give birth to: The cat dropped a litter of six kittens.
to parachute (persons, supplies, etc.): The Marines dropped 300 combat troops into the jungle battlefield.
to lengthen by lowering or letting out: to drop the hem of a skirt.
to lower (the wheels) into position for landing an airplane.
Informal. to release (music, software, sneakers, etc.) to the public; launch: She dropped her second album in October.
Informal. to spend or lose (money) in an extravagant or wasteful way: He thought nothing of dropping $100 on a tie.
Slang. to take (especially an illicit drug) by swallowing; ingest: Did you know that your uncle dropped acid in college?
Nautical. to pass out of sight of; outdistance.
Cooking. to poach (an egg).
Verb Phrases
drop behind, to fall short of the required pace or progress: Her long illness caused her to drop behind the rest of the class.
drop off,
- to fall asleep.
- to decrease; decline: Sales have dropped off drastically.
drop out,
- to withdraw from being a member or participant: to drop out of a club;to drop out of society and become a wanderer.
- to stop attending school or college.
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Idioms about drop
at the drop of a hat, at the slightest provocation or without delay: He's ready to fight at the drop of a hat.
drop dead, (used as an expression of contempt, disgust, impatience, etc.): If that's the way you feel about it, drop dead!
- to aim and be ready to shoot a gun at an antagonist before the other person's gun can be drawn.
- to get or have at a disadvantage.
drop in the bucket. bucket (def. 13).
get / have the drop on,
Origin of drop
OTHER WORDS FROM drop
drop·like, adjectiveun·dropped, adjectiveWords nearby drop
drool, drooly, droop, droop nose, droopy, drop, drop a bombshell, drop a brick, drop a dime, drop a line, drop arch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use drop in a sentence
What’s capping the upside, and threatening a drop, is the rampaging price that’s waxed three times as fast as profits.
Will tech stocks stumble or slide? What the fundamentals tell us|Shawn Tully|September 16, 2020|FortuneAlthough the idea remains a long-shot in the vaccine race, an attenuated coronavirus could be formulated into inexpensive nose drops for use around the world.
Synthetic biologists have created a slow-growing version of the coronavirus to give as a vaccine|David Rotman|September 16, 2020|MIT Technology ReviewThe drop in labor participation from EU nationals suggests many workers went home during the pandemic, perhaps because of travel restrictions, Raja said.
European workers are fleeing the UK economy during the pandemic|John Detrixhe|September 16, 2020|QuartzIf you notice a drop in traffic on Friday evening for a few hours, and your site is often in the Top Stories section in Google Search – this may be why.
More Google Search bugs: Top stories indexing snag, coverage report delays|Barry Schwartz|September 14, 2020|Search Engine Land
I think one estimate is that they’ll only be able to produce 50 million phones next year, so there’s a huge drop.
‘A real uphill battle’: Why China will struggle to counter U.S.’s attack on Huawei|Veta Chan|September 10, 2020|FortuneDuring an emergency that ratio could be allowed to drop to 8.5 people per orbit.
Exclusive: U.S. Drone Fleet at ‘Breaking Point,’ Air Force Says|Dave Majumdar|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEASTBut with the pipeline, transportation costs drop and production would be higher.
Then, depending on how urgent I think it is to get it, sometimes I have to go back home and drop it off.
Many times, victims drop out of school, while their alleged attackers graduate.
Jameis Winston Cleared of Rape Like Every Other College Sports Star|Robert Silverman|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEASTA Change.org petition asking A&E to drop the show is already making the rounds online.
To Catch a Sex Worker: A&E’s Awful, Exploitative Ambush Show|Samantha Allen|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEASTBefore he could finish the sentence the Hole-keeper said snappishly, "Well, drop out again—quick!"
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. CarrylAt a quarter past seven he took his leave and we let drop our anchor where we were, off Cape Tekke.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian HamiltonNow and then he touched one with his long and sallow fingers, lifted its cover, then let it drop mechanically.
Bella Donna|Robert HichensIn fact, on the palm a small drop of blood showed distinctly against the firm, pink flesh.
Uncanny Tales|VariousIn fact, on the Professor's right hand there showed a drop of blood, perceptibly larger this time than before.
Uncanny Tales|Various
British Dictionary definitions for drop
drop
/ (drɒp) /
noun
a small quantity of liquid that forms or falls in a spherical or pear-shaped mass; globule
a very small quantity of liquid
a very small quantity of anything
something resembling a drop in shape or size, such as a decorative pendant or small sweet
the act or an instance of falling; descent
a decrease in amount or value; slumpa drop in prices
the vertical distance that anything may fall
a steep or sheer incline or slope
short for fruit drop
the act of unloading troops, equipment, or supplies by parachute
(in cable television) a short spur from a trunk cable that feeds signals to an individual house
theatre See drop curtain
mainly US and Canadian a slot or aperture through which an object can be dropped to fall into a receptacle
Australian cricket slang a fall of the wickethe came in at first drop
See drop shot
a drop in the bucket or a drop in the ocean an amount very small in relation to what is needed or desired
at the drop of a hat without hesitation or delay
have had a drop too much to be drunk
have the drop on someone US and NZ to have the advantage over someone
verb drops, dropping or dropped
(of liquids) to fall or allow to fall in globules
to fall or allow to fall vertically
(tr) to allow to fall by letting go of
to sink or fall or cause to sink or fall to the ground, as from a blow, wound, shot, weariness, etc
(intr; foll by back, behind, etc) to fall, move, or go in a specified manner, direction, etc
(intr; foll by in, by, etc) informal to pay a casual visit (to)
to decrease or cause to decrease in amount or valuethe cost of living never drops
to sink or cause to sink to a lower position, as on a scale
to make or become less in strength, volume, etc
(intr) to sink or decline in health or condition
(intr sometimes foll by into) to pass easily into a state or conditionto drop into a habit
(intr) to move along gently as with a current of water or air
(tr) to allow to pass casually in conversationto drop a hint
(tr) to leave out (a word or letter)
(tr) to set down or unload (passengers or goods)
(tr) to send or postdrop me a line/text/email
(tr) to discontinue; terminatelet's drop the matter
(tr) to cease to associate or have to do with
(tr) slang, mainly US to cease to employhe was dropped from his job
(tr; sometimes foll by in, off, etc) informal to leave or deposit, esp at a specified place
(of animals) to give birth to (offspring)
slang, mainly US and Canadian to lose (money), esp when gambling
(tr) to lengthen (a hem, etc)
(tr) to unload (troops, equipment, or supplies) by parachute
(tr) nautical to leave behind; sail out of sight of
(tr) sport to omit (a player) from a team
(tr) to lose (a score, game, or contest)the champion dropped his first service game
(tr) sport to hit or throw (a ball) into a goalhe dropped a 30 foot putt
(tr) to hit (a ball) with a drop shot
drop astern nautical to fall back to the stern (of another vessel)
(tr) motor racing slang to spin (the car) and (usually) crash out of the race
(tr) slang to swallow (a drug, esp a barbiturate or LSD)
drop dead! slang an exclamation of contempt
noun, verb
rugby short for drop kick or drop-kick
Word Origin for drop
Old English dropian; related to Old High German triofan to drip
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with drop
drop
In addition to the idioms beginning with drop
- drop a bombshell
- drop a brick
- drop a dime
- drop a line
- drop back
- drop behind
- drop by
- drop dead
- drop in one's tracks
- drop in someone's lap
- drop in the bucket
- drop like a hot potato
- drop like flies
- drop names
- drop off
- drop out
- drop the ball
also see:
- at the drop of a hat
- bottom drops out of
- get the drop on
- hear a pin drop
- let drop
- wait for the other shoe to drop
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.