falling band noun

A 17c man's collar of fine material turned down on the shoulders

falling-offˈ noun

A decline

falling-outˈ noun

A quarrel

falling sickness noun (archaic)

Epilepsy

falling star noun

A meteor

falling stone noun

A portion of an exploded meteor

fall line noun

1. The edge of a plateau
2. (in skiing) the natural line of descent on a slope

fallˈ-off noun

A decrease

fallˈout noun

1. A deposit of radioactive dust from a nuclear explosion or plant
2. The aftermath of any explosive occurrence or situation (figurative)
3. A by-product or side benefit (informal)
4. See also fall out below

fallˈ-trap noun

A trap that operates by causing the victim to fall

fall about

To laugh hysterically, to collapse (with laughter)

fall across (archaic)

To meet by chance

fall among

To find oneself in the midst of

fall apart

1. To disintegrate
2. To fail
3. To collapse or go to pieces

fall away

1. To slope down
2. To decline gradually
3. To dwindle or waste away
4. To lose enthusiasm and so leave (a club, etc)
5. To languish
6. To grow lean
7. To revolt or abandon one's beliefs, principles, etc

fall back

To retreat, give way

fall back, fall edge (obsolete)

No matter what may happen

fall back (up)on

To have recourse to as an expedient or resource in reserve

fall behind

1. To lag
2. To be outstripped
3. To get in arrears

fall between two stools

1. To be neither one thing nor the other
2. To succeed in neither of two alternatives

fall down on

To fail in

fall flat

To fail completely, have no effect

fall flat on one's face

To come to grief or fail dismally

fall for (informal)

1. To develop a liking or love for (usu a person)
2. To be taken in by (a trick, etc)

fall foul of see under foul

fall in

1. To (cause to) take places in ranks (military; fallˈ-inˈ noun)
2. To become hollowed
3. To revert
4. To cave in or collapse

fall in with

1. To concur or agree with
2. To comply with
3. To meet by chance
4. To begin to associate with

fall off

1. To become detached and drop
2. To deteriorate
3. To die away, to perish
4. To revolt or abandon one's beliefs, principles, etc
5. To draw back

fall on

1. To begin eagerly
2. To make an attack
3. To meet (archaic)

fall on one's feet

1. To achieve a successful outcome to a difficult situation
2. To have unexpected good fortune

fall out

1. To quarrel
2. To happen (that)
3. To turn out
4. To (cause to) break ranks (military; fallˈ-outˈ noun)

fall over

1. To tumble or trip up (on)
2. To go over to the enemy (Shakespeare)
3. To go to sleep (Scot)

fall over backwards see under back¹

fall over oneself (informal)

To take a lot of trouble, to be in great haste or eagerness (to do something)

fall short

1. To turn out to be short or insufficient
2. To become used up
3. To fail to attain or reach what is aimed at (with of)

fall through

To fail or come to nothing

fall to

1. To begin hastily and eagerly
2. To apply oneself to
3. To begin to eat

fall upon

1. To attack
2. To rush against
3. To devolve upon or be the duty of
4. To chance or come upon

try a fall

To take a bout at wrestling

band¹ /band/

1. A flat strip (of cloth, rubber, metal, etc) to bind round or reinforce anything, as a hat-band, waistband, rubber band, etc
2. A stripe of contrasting colour, texture, etc
3. A flat strip between mouldings, or dividing a wall surface
4. A finger-ring
5. A belt for driving machinery
6. The neck-band or collar of a shirt, also the collar or ruff worn in the 17c (termed a falling-band when turned down)
7. (in pl) the pair of linen strips hanging down in front from the collar, worn by some Protestant clergymen and by barristers and advocates, formerly by others
8. A group or range of frequencies or wavelengths between two specified limits (radio, electronics)
9. In sound reproduction, a separately recorded section of a record or tape
10. A group of close-set lines esp in a molecular spectrum (physics)
11. A particular range, between an upper and lower limit, of eg intelligence, wealth, etc

1. To mark with a band
2. To ring (a bird) (N American)

bandˈed adjective

1. Fastened as with a band
2. Striped with bands
3. Arranged in or into bands

bandˈing noun

The division of children preparing to enter secondary education into groups according to ability, in order to obtain an even spread in the mixed-ability classes usual in comprehensive schools

bandˈ-box (or /banˈboks/) noun

A light kind of box for holding (orig) bands, caps, millinery, etc

adjective (esp US)

1. Very neat and tidy, spruce
2. Delicate, flimsy

bandˈbrake or bandˈ-clutch noun

A brake or clutch in the form of a flexible band that can be tightened about a wheel or drum

bandˈfish noun

A bright-red Mediterranean fish (genus Cepola), or other ribbon-shaped fish

band-pass filter noun (telecommunications)

A filter which freely passes currents having frequencies within specified nominal limits, and highly attenuates currents with frequencies outside these limits

bandˈ-saw noun

An endless saw, a toothed steel belt

bandˈ-string noun

An ornamental string for fastening bands or a collar

bandˈ-wheel noun

A wheel on which a strap or band runs

bandˈwidth noun

1. The width of a band of radio or TV frequencies
2. The range of frequencies in a communications channel
3. The informational capacity of a link between computers