a small quantity of liquid that falls or is produced in a more or less spherical mass; a liquid globule.
the quantity of liquid contained in such a globule.
a very small quantity of liquid: 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.
an act or instance of dropping; fall; descent.
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.
drop curtain.
drop scene.
trapdoor.
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, etc., that has just been released to the public: his all-new music video drop.
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.
a small flag, usually of enameled metal, that gives a visual signal in an annunciator.
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 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 with the tide or a light wind (usually followed by down).
Informal. (of music, software, etc, ) to be released to the public: When the app dropped, I decided to give it a test run.
Slang. to ingest an illicit drug orally; swallow.
verb (used with object),dropped or 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, etc.) to the public: 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: to drop LSD.
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.
Idioms for 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!
drop in the bucket. bucket (def. 13).
get / have the drop on,
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.
Origin of drop
First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun drop(e) “drop of liquid,” Old English dropa; verb from noun; akin to drip, droop
OTHER WORDS FROM drop
drop·like,adjectiveun·dropped,adjective
Words nearby drop
drool, drooly, droop, droop nose, droopy, drop, drop a bombshell, drop a brick, drop a dime, drop a line, drop arch
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|Fortune
Although 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 Review
The 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|Quartz
If 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|Fortune
During 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 BEAST
Then, depending on how urgent I think it is to get it, sometimes I have to go back home and drop it off.
#Setinthestreet: Your Street Corner Is Their Art Project|James Joiner|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A 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 BEAST
When I tried to persuade him to drop the title The Short Night, I proposed calling the picture Pursuit.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sharp has spent so long being Christopher he can just “drop into him and stay in him consistently” before a performance.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It cannot be accounted for entirely by the friction, as the removal of the paper allows the sand to drop in a mass.
Pressure, Resistance, and Stability of Earth|J. C. Meem
The pollen was all ready to drop, and by this he knew it was ripe.
The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.|Ellen Eddy Shaw
On the night of April 30th a strong gale blew nearly all night, and the Pasha signalled to the Khedive to drop two anchors.
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The quest, rescue and retreat of Emin, governor of Equatoria|Henry Morton Stanley
Drop by spoonfuls on unglazed paper and bake in slow oven 30 minutes.
The New Dr. Price Cookbook|Anonymous
What, doctor, said he, would you have me strike to a drop of water?
Pike & Cutlass|George Gibbs
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
another word for trap door, gallows
mainlyUS and Canadiana slot or aperture through which an object can be dropped to fall into a receptacle
nauticalthe midships height of a sail bent to a fixed yardCompare hoist (def. 6a)
Australiancricketslanga fall of the wickethe came in at first drop
See drop shot
a drop in the bucketora drop in the oceanan amount very small in relation to what is needed or desired
at the drop of a hatwithout hesitation or delay
have had a drop too muchto be drunk
have the drop on someoneUS and NZto have the advantage over someone
verbdrops, droppingordropped
(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)informalto 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, mainlyUSto cease to employhe was dropped from his job
(tr; sometimes foll by in, off, etc)informalto leave or deposit, esp at a specified place
(of animals) to give birth to (offspring)
slang, mainlyUS and Canadianto lose (money), esp when gambling
(tr)to lengthen (a hem, etc)
(tr)to unload (troops, equipment, or supplies) by parachute
(tr)nauticalto leave behind; sail out of sight of
(tr)sportto omit (a player) from a team
(tr)to lose (a score, game, or contest)the champion dropped his first service game
(tr)sportto hit or throw (a ball) into a goalhe dropped a 30 foot putt
(tr)to hit (a ball) with a drop shot
drop asternnauticalto fall back to the stern (of another vessel)
(tr)motor racingslangto spin (the car) and (usually) crash out of the race
(tr)slangto swallow (a drug, esp a barbiturate or LSD)
drop dead!slangan exclamation of contempt
noun, verb
rugbyshort for drop kickordrop-kick
See also drop away, drop in, drop off, dropout, drops
Word Origin for drop
Old English dropian; related to Old High German triofan to drip