Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: NATURE

Language: Old English
Origin: droppian

drop

1 verb
     
drop1 S1 W2 past tense and past participle dropped, present participle dropping
1

let something fall

[transitive]
a) to stop holding or carrying something so that it falls:
He dropped his briefcase on a chair.
She screamed and dropped the torch.
b) to make something such as a bomb fall from a plane:
U.S. planes began dropping bombs on the city.
Supplies are being dropped for the refugees.
2

fall

[intransitive] to fall suddenly onto the ground or into something
drop from/off
The apples are beginning to drop from the trees.
Your button has dropped off.
3

move your body down

[intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to lower yourself or part of your body suddenly
drop down/onto/into
He dropped down onto the floor and hid under the table.
She dropped her head back against the cushion.
4

become less

[intransitive] to fall to a lower level or amount, especially a much lower level or amount
drop suddenly/sharply/dramatically
The number of deaths on the roads has dropped sharply.
Temperatures drop quite dramatically at night, so bring some warm clothing.
drop to
Their share of the market dropped to 50 percent this year.
5

reduce

[transitive] to reduce the level or amount of something:
You might be able to get them to drop the price.
As soon as she saw the police car she dropped her speed.
6

not include

[transitive]DS to decide not to include someone or something:
His name was dropped from the list.
drop somebody from a team/side
Taylor was bitterly disappointed to be dropped from the England side.
7

stop doing something

[transitive] to stop doing something, discussing something, or continuing with something:
The proposal was dropped after opposition from civil liberties groups.
drop charges/drop a case
New evidence was presented to the court and the case was dropped.
drop a subject at school/university (=stop studying it)
Students are allowed to drop history in Year 9.
You can't expect me to drop everything (=completely stop doing whatever I am doing) whenever you're in town.
Oh, drop the 'Senator' (=stop calling me 'Senator') - just call me Gordon.
Some time later, the matter was quietly dropped.
8

stop talking about something

[intransitive and transitive] to stop talking about something
drop the subject
To her relief, Julius dropped the subject.
drop it (=stop talking about a subject)
Just drop it, will you? I don't want to talk about it any more.
'What about the money?' 'We've agreed to let it drop (=we have agreed not to talk about it any more).'
9

take somebody somewhere

also drop off [transitive]TTC to take someone by car to a place and leave them there, especially on your way to another place:
Just drop me here - I can walk the rest of the way.
drop somebody at something
She dropped Johnny at the school gates at about 8:30.
10

take something somewhere

[transitive] to take something to a place and leave it there
drop something round/in
I've got your books - I'll drop them round to your place later.
11

visit

[intransitive always + adverb/preposition]DL to visit someone you know, usually without arranging a particular time
drop by/round
I just dropped by to see how you were getting on.
The kids drop round and see her from time to time.
drop into
Jan dropped into the office this morning to tell me her news.
drop in (on somebody)
Why don't you drop in for a drink one evening?
12

slope downwards

[intransitive always + adverb/preposition]DN if a path, land etc drops, it goes down suddenly, forming a steep slope
drop down
The cliff dropped down over a hundred feet to the sea below.
drop away
On the left the ground drops away, giving a view over the rooftops.
13

end a relationship

[transitive] informal to suddenly stop having a relationship with someone, especially a romantic relationship:
She dropped him as soon as she found out he had been seeing another woman.
14

until/till you drop

until you are too tired to continue doing something:
We're going to shop till we drop!
15

drop a hint

to suggest or ask for something in an indirect way, hoping that the person you are talking to will understand what you mean:
He dropped some big hints about what he wanted for his birthday.
16

drop somebody a line/note

TCN informal to write a short letter to someone:
Drop us a line to let us know how you're getting on.
17

drop dead

a) informal to die suddenly
b) spoken informal an impolite expression which you say to someone when you are extremely angry with them
18

somebody's jaw dropped

used to say that someone was very surprised
19

drop your eyes/gaze

to stop looking at someone and look down, usually because you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable:
Ben looked at me in horror for a moment and then dropped his gaze.
20

the wind drops

the wind stops:
They waited for the wind to drop.
21

drop a bombshell

informal to suddenly tell someone a shocking piece of news:
Finally she dropped the bombshell. She was pregnant and I was the father.
22

drop somebody in it

informal to say or do something that gets someone else into trouble:
You told her where we went on Friday night! You've really dropped me in it now!
23

drop $50/£2000 etc

[transitive] informalB to lose money in a business deal, a game etc:
Phil dropped $200 playing poker yesterday.
24

drop a catch

DSC to fail to catch a ball hit by a batsman in cricket
25

drop a point

DS to lose a point in a sports competition:
Real Madrid dropped a point at home yesterday.
26

be dropping like flies

informal if people are dropping like flies, they are getting ill or dying in large numbers
27

drop a clanger/brick

British English to say something embarrassing in a social situation
28

drop a stitch

DLH to let the wool fall off the needle when you are knitting
29

drop anchor

TTW to lower a boat's anchor to the bottom of the sea, a lake etc so that the boat does not float away
30

drop acid

informalMDD to swallow LSD (=an illegal drug)

drop back

phrasal verb
to move more slowly than other people so that they get ahead of you:
He started out with the leaders but at the first fence he dropped back.
Ellen dropped behind to tie her shoelace.

drop off

phrasal verb
1 to begin to sleep:
She kept dropping off at her desk.
2

drop somebody/something ↔ off

to take someone or something to a place by car and leave them there on your way to another place:
I'll drop you off on my way home.
3 to fall to a lower level or amount:
The number of graduates going into teaching has dropped off sharply.

drop out

phrasal verb
1SE to no longer do an activity or belong to a group:
The group gets smaller as members move away or drop out.
2 to leave a school or university before your course has finished [↪ dropout]
drop out of
Bill dropped out of college after his first year.
3SSPPP to refuse to take part in ordinary society because you do not agree with its principles [↪ dropout]:
In the 60s, Leary urged kids to 'Turn on, tune in and drop out.'
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