Informal. Also a person who or thing that pays an unexpected or uninvited visit.
a feeder for squirrels, raccoons, and other drop-ins.
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.
provided for short-term patronage.
a drop-in shelter for people who are moving through homelessness.
requiring only insertion to be ready for use.
a drop-in battery pack.
First recorded in 1810–20; noun and adjective use of verb phrase drop in
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sometimes, though, capybaras need more help than they can get from these drop-in visits—a fact that, along with the species’ rising popularity, has ushered some capybaras of Brazil into a new kind of lifestyle entirely.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Ms Gower spoke to the BBC after a seven-week consultation period, during which about 1,000 residents attended drop-in sessions to share their views.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
The result is a drop-in replacement for metallurgical coal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
A victim support drop-in clinic will be held on 5 December.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025
He’s feeling good enough to come to Friday night drop-in at the mosque?
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
LA28 sold a record number of tickets during its first drop in April, signaling unprecedented interest in the Olympics as they return to Southern California for the first time since 1984.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Among the largest U.S. cities, Las Vegas saw the biggest drop in home prices, while Chicago saw the biggest increase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The company said it had seen a drop in revenue from licensing video games, against a "challenging" backdrop for the industry, and two previous partners had ended their deals to make Warhammer-inspired titles.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Rollins, in a social-media post this week, pointed to a drop in new screwworm cases in July as a sign that containment and the sterile-fly efforts were helping contain the outbreak.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Anne Lazzarini’s daughter is getting married in Wenatchee, so we thought we’d drop in for dinner on the way. We’re not staying.”
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
