dropper

American  

[drop-er] / ˈdrɒp ər /

noun

1. 1. Also called medicine dropper.  Also called eyedropper.  a tube with a hollow rubber bulb at one end and a small opening at the other, for drawing in a liquid and expelling it in drops.

      For pets that don't like droppers, this medication also comes in a spray.

      You can dilute the tempera a little at a time by adding water with an eye dropper.

   2. the amount held or dispensed by such a tube.

      Take two droppers of the echinacea tincture, swish it in your mouth for about 15 seconds, and swallow.

2. Angling. a short length of nylon, gut, etc., tied to a leader so that another fly dropper fly can be attached.

   This is a great summer fly that you can fish on a dropper or simply on its own.

3. a short-haired dog that is a cross between a pointer and a setter, so named because it drops to the ground, or crouches, on sighting game.

4. a person or thing that drops. drop.

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dropper British  

/ ˈdrɒpə /

noun

1. a small tube having a rubber bulb at one end for drawing up and dispensing drops of liquid

2. a person or thing that drops

3. angling a short length of monofilament by which a fly is attached to the main trace or leader above the tail fly

4. a batten attached to the top wire of a fence to keep the wires apart

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Etymology

Origin of dropper

First recorded in 1690–1700; drop + -er ¹

Compare meaning

How does dropper compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dropper vs. dispenser

Example Sentences

The tincture bottles come with a medicine dropper, which allows the green liquid to aesthetically swirl into water — perfect for magical TikTok visuals as in the two videos below.

From Washington Post

They soon set their sights on developing a more convenient glucose test “so no one would have to wash out test tubes and mess around with droppers,” she said.

From Seattle Times

Its survival will rely on the support of shoppers and droppers alike.

From BBC

The cybersecurity researchers said they uncovered a dropper, which is a malicious program designed to deliver malware to a victim’s phone, spreading on Google’s app store.

From Washington Times

Jalen Green has always been the jaw dropper, the show stopper, an extreme competitor looking to win every drill and impose his will with a breathtaking dunk.

From Washington Post