Home UK English drop

Meaning of drop in English:

drop

Pronunciation /drɒp/

See synonyms for drop

Translate drop into Spanish

verbverb drops, verb dropping, verb dropped

[with object]

  • 1Let or make (something) fall vertically.

    ‘the fire was caused by someone dropping a lighted cigarette’
    • ‘they dropped bombs on Caen during the raid’
    • ‘The fire had started when she fell asleep and dropped her cigarette.’
    • ‘Investigations by police and fire officers concluded that one of them had fallen asleep and dropped a lit cigarette end.’
    • ‘He drops the phone and falls back to the floor, shaking.’
    • ‘Mia fell back screaming and dropping the candle.’
    • ‘Ben fell to the floor dropping his bread and juice.’
    • ‘He heard something snap and the student fell, dropping the crate.’
    • ‘Once I see that the danger is gone, I drop my gun and fall over, clasping my leg.’
    • ‘He drops his sword and falls to the ground in front of the doorway.’
    • ‘He drops the cigarette, falling to his knees in front of her, and pressing her hand against his cheek.’
    • ‘She fell pretty hard, dropping a plate, and banging her head on the ground.’
    • ‘When the plane landed back at Heathrow, one of the six crates was found to be missing, and during unloading, a large cardboard box was dropped and the lid fell off.’
    • ‘Did they drop thousands of bombs on largely vacated enemy territory?’
    • ‘Vincent fell to the ground, dropping his books and falling to a crouched position.’
    • ‘He wades into the water and of course falls over and drops his walking stick.’
    • ‘She rushed forward almost dropping the torch as she fell to her knees on the ground in front of him.’
    • ‘A snap was heard as a bag was dropped to the floor.’
    • ‘The BBC reports that the bomb was mistakenly dropped by a U.S. warplane.’
    • ‘Over the next 11 days, French and US warplanes dropped 3,250 bombs.’
    • ‘He dropped his bag next to the coat rack by the front door.’
    • ‘I dropped my bag next to my usual seat in the back and sat down.’
    let fall, let go, let go of, fail to hold, lose one's grip on
    put, place, rest, deposit, set, set down, lay, leave, settle, shove, stick, position, station
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1Deliver (supplies or troops) by parachute.
      ‘the airlift dropped food into the camp’
      • ‘Only on rare occasions would an entire Brigade be dropped for an assault upon one objective.’
      • ‘The Germans have to fly increasingly further with fewer aircraft and landing fields to drop supplies.’
      • ‘We dropped the Parachute Regiment into Arnhem and also towed gliders over.’
      • ‘When an Australian airforce plane did finally fly over the area, it dropped no relief supplies.’
      • ‘The troops would be dropped at a site seven miles away, losing any element of surprise.’
      • ‘Maybe the bombers should drop supplies of aid technical and other support to meet the needs of the Afghans.’
      • ‘The helicopters dropped relief supplies into parts of the hard-hit province virtually cut off from the rest of the world.’
      • ‘At the same time, many containers with relief supplies were dropped on deserted or mined areas.’
      • ‘They moved into position and prepared to drop troops.’
      • ‘Clearing weather the following day enabled planes to drop supplies.’
      • ‘While the Indian Air Force kept dropping food and medical supplies, it is the fishermen who've kept the death toll as low as it is.’
      • ‘Rescue planes soon found the bomber and its crew and dropped further supplies.’
      • ‘Their method was to drop troops ahead of the main advancing forces to seize major targets and maximise the element of surprise.’
      • ‘Couldn't they airlift food and water and drop it by parachute or helicopter to some dry areas?’
      • ‘The organisation bitterly resented the fact that food parcels were being dropped at the same time as bombs.’
      • ‘A legend held by the Red Army told of soldiers who were dropped from a low flying plane without parachutes as they were targeted at a large snow-bank!’
      • ‘To date, the US air force has dropped 1,550,000 food packages over the country.’
      • ‘He is saying that he will drop food and medical supplies.’
    2. 1.2Rugby Score (a goal) by a drop kick.
      ‘he dropped a goal to beat England in the final minute’
      • ‘England have had a hard time of it since Wilkinson dropped the goal which won them the World Cup in Sydney in November.’
      • ‘A rare Hull breakaway five minutes from time set up the position for Richard Whiting to drop a crucial field goal.’
      • ‘The second half saw Bolton under the cosh as Heaton Moor scored a second try and their stand off dropped a goal from 50 metres to level the scores.’
      • ‘From the ruck Conor Mahon whipped the ball to Canavan to drop an excellent goal.’
      • ‘To most of the nation, of course, the fly-half who dropped that goal way back in the mists of 2003 will never have anything to prove.’
    3. 1.3(of an animal) give birth to (young).
      ‘They were four hours east of Sterling, when Fly dropped her first pup.’
      • ‘This species of hartebeest has its young in the late dry season, some antelope prefer to drop their young during the first rains.’
      • ‘She dropped her first litter of pups in September of 2003.’
      • ‘If you are worried that she is about to drop her kittens, get a box, put several blankets in there and place her on it.’
      • ‘The must ox drops its young generally in April.’
    4. 1.4 informal Take (a drug, especially LSD) orally.
      • ‘he dropped a lot of acid in the Sixties’
      • ‘Before I had dropped LSD for the first time, I didn't understand the neck thing.’
      • ‘Ellis would frequently drop acid on off days and weekends.’
      • ‘The notorious acid flashback (where a person will trip out long after the last time they dropped a tab) happens when the body uses some of these fat reserves, thus releasing L.S.D. into the bloodstream.’
      • ‘That first night, the two get drunk, smoke weed, and drop some ecstasy.’
      • ‘The last time I'd been in Hoch, ironically enough, we had dropped acid and gone to a showing of Fantasia.’

  • 2no object, usually with adverbial Fall vertically.

    ‘the spoon dropped with a clatter from her hand’
    • ‘Sebastian's subsequent survival was another aerial spectacle as his boat dropped vertically to the stage in stormy lighting.’
    • ‘My spoon dropped clumsily from my hand.’
    • ‘A thrust and twist through its chest, and it fell limp, the daggers clattering as they dropped from its hands.’
    • ‘As you begin to get drowsy, the spoon will drop to the floor, hitting the plate, waking you up.’
    • ‘It ran the length of the table and dropped with a gentle plop and rattle into the corner pocket.’
    • ‘A pencil dropped, clattering to the floor in the silent room and I woke up suddenly.’
    • ‘There was blood leaking out, dropping onto his chin.’
    • ‘There was a loud click followed by a snap, and the manacle at his wrist fell open, dropping heavily into his lap.’
    • ‘Beneath the words there is a powerful smear of black paint, with drip lines dropping from it.’
    • ‘She had just let the tears fall softly, dropping onto her grey skirt.’
    • ‘Drops of fresh blood were slowly dropping from it, falling to the floor, deadly, slowly, silently.’
    • ‘She stuffed the chip bag into the wrong spot in the pantry, and it fell out and dropped to the floor.’
    • ‘Three more petals fell out and dropped to the floor, making thirteen petals in all.’
    • ‘He snapped up, staring at me with his eyes wide and his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.’
    • ‘Our jaws nearly drop to the floor in shock.’
    • ‘Her eyes widened, jaw nearly dropping to the floor.’
    • ‘The ball dropped from a height but boomed wide of the upright.’
    • ‘But then a leaflet from my Conservative candidate dropped through the letterbox.’
    • ‘When this edition of the book dropped through the letterbox, I was mildly intrigued.’
    • ‘Sidroc opened his mouth and the knife dropped with a clatter to the stone floor.’
    drip, fall in drops, fall, dribble, trickle, drizzle, flow, run, plop, leak
    fall, come down, go down, descend, sink
    View synonyms
    1. 2.1(of a person) allow oneself to fall; let oneself down without jumping.
      ‘they escaped by climbing out of the window and dropping to the ground’
      • ‘The crews grabbed them from the first floor of their terraced home in Prestwich after the family dropped on to the roof of their bay windows.’
      • ‘Wordlessly, she stands up and, doesn't drop, but jumps off going further than she should.’
      • ‘I jumped, or dropped, whichever sounds more dignified, off the pipe.’
      • ‘It's as though I'm dropping from a great height at high speed.’
      • ‘The North West Air Ambulance was scrambled and was able to land on the beach just metres from where the boy had dropped.’
      • ‘And with that he let himself drop.’
      • ‘Fins on, reg in, I lowered myself into the clear liquid of the Blue Hole and dropped through the vertical cavern to fin out into the iridescent blue.’
      • ‘She then dropped to the ground, and ran towards a gate, knowing the guards aren't paying attention.’
      • ‘Both guards instinctively dropped to the ground and rolled towards the walls.’
      • ‘Finally, out of the pine tree, a figure dropped to the ground, landing on its hands and knees.’
      • ‘The big tree rustled and a guy dropped down to the ground right in front of us.’
      • ‘Without injury, I dropped and landed, and Fraust reappeared from the shadows.’
    2. 2.2(of a person or animal) sink to or towards the ground.
      ‘he dropped to his knees in the mud’
      • ‘Then its head sunk down and the beast simply dropped to the ground, fast asleep.’
      • ‘At the shot, the buck dropped to the ground but was up again moving away with no flash of the white tail to be seen.’
      • ‘James groaned from the ground and Andy dropped to her knees to help him.’
      • ‘The game was marred by numerous stoppages due to injuries and it was inevitable that players would drop to the ground with cramp after the action extended into a period of extra time.’
      • ‘The event kicked off with Rourke running away from the assembled hacks towards the sea, dropping to his knees and engaging in what appeared to be a silent prayer.’
      • ‘The man dropped to the ground, trying unsuccessfully to move his legs.’
      • ‘Eric dropped to the ground and fired from the prone position, sweeping left and right with the firing gun.’
      • ‘They all dropped to the ground, burying their heads under their arms.’
      • ‘The soldiers dropped to the ground, weapons drawn, firing back with little or no cover.’
      • ‘She had simply dropped to the ground where she'd been standing.’
      • ‘A cry rang amongst the men and one man dropped to the ground, an arrow through his neck.’
      • ‘When the sirens come on, all citizens should drop to the ground and place their hands behind their backs.’
      • ‘I didn't know who had killed them, but the two figures dropped to the ground a fraction of a second after we started shooting.’
      • ‘Kathryn shook her head and immediately dropped down to her knees from the swings.’
      • ‘He stared at him tentatively, dazed, then dropped back to the ground cross-legged.’
      • ‘When Charlie walked into the auto shop that day he almost dropped to his knees.’
      • ‘When a few minutes had passed, he dropped into a crouch.’
      • ‘He dropped into a crouch beside the dog's owner and opened the oxygen case.’
      • ‘Confused, I nevertheless dropped to the floor, scooting away from the window.’
      • ‘Was that the sound of 100 people dropping to the floor in a faint?’
      • ‘Not trusting herself to necessarily remain on top of the cliff standing, she dropped to her stomach and slithered toward the edge of the cliff.’
      fall, sink, collapse, descend, go down, slide, stumble, tumble
      View synonyms
    3. 2.3 informal Collapse or die from exhaustion.
      • ‘he looked ready to drop’
      • ‘It was nearly three in the morning and he looked ready to drop from exhaustion.’
      • ‘I was exhausted and ready to drop before the day was even half over but there was no way in hell I was going to give Annie the satisfaction of seeing me like that.’
      • ‘It looked like you were ready to drop after a couple of hours there, Brooke.’
      • ‘I was ready to drop from lack of sleep, so we proceeded home.’
      • ‘I began to fume as I was ready to drop from tiredness, but I couldn't say anything because the people there were really nice.’
      • ‘His psychology is surprisingly effective and though I am ready to drop I carry on trying my best, probably increasing my effort.’
      • ‘You are dog tired, ready to drop from fatigue at any moment, when someone ushers you into a cosy room filled with comfy cushions and relaxing music.’
      • ‘Sure enough, I was ready to drop at five o'clock, returned to bed and fell instantly to sleep.’
      • ‘They looked as though they were ready to drop though.’
      • ‘Just can't get rid of your flabby belly, even though you do sit-ups and crunches until you're ready to drop?’
      • ‘‘You look ready to drop,’ he said the minute I left the practice room.’
      • ‘Despite the fact that Josh forced her to fight him until she was ready to drop, she was having difficulties sleeping at night.’
      • ‘The idea that all workers must work until they drop from exhaustion is to approach the problem from the wrong end.’
      • ‘During the rut stags lost some 200 lb in weight, and can literally drop with exhaustion.’
      • ‘His horse looked ready to drop, and lines of worry and a sleepless night crossed his face.’
      • ‘I'm more worried about dropping from sheer exhaustion.’
      • ‘She stayed up working until she dropped with exhaustion where she sat.’
      • ‘She would pace until she dropped from exhaustion, sleep for half a day, then get up and start pacing again.’
      • ‘After eleven and a half hours, I was pretty much ready to drop.’
      • ‘By 3pm they were ready to drop and headed home laden with bargains.’
      collapse, faint, pass out, black out, swoon, lose consciousness, fall unconscious, keel over, fall down, sink down
      View synonyms
    4. 2.4(of ground) slope steeply down.
      ‘the land drops away to the river’
      • ‘In front the land dropped steeply away to the desert.’
      • ‘A couple of hundred yards from where the trees stopped, the ground dropped away in a sheer cliff.’
      • ‘The ground dropped away from the far edge of the trail to a spectacular view of the canyon and the mountains beyond.’
      • ‘To the east, a few hundred feet away, the land dropped like a low cliff into the water.’
      • ‘To my left, rough sloping ground dropped away steeply to reveal a clearing several hundred yards below.’
      • ‘At the far end of the parking area, turn left through a kissing gate and follow the path which drops steeply downhill and leads to a bridge over the River Croal.’
      • ‘Keep to the lane as it bends left then right and it drops more steeply downhill.’
      • ‘Another path, this time with a bench at the end, leads off to the right just before the track starts to drop steeply.’
      • ‘The transition from native forest is sudden, yet the larch plantation has its own beauty, as the track drops steeply to the Pudding Hill stream.’
      • ‘The fields drop steeply to the sea, and some are terraced.’
      • ‘The side bordering the mouth of a river however dropped steeply into 7 foot of water where the push of the costal currents collided with the flow of the river.’
      • ‘Long steep slopes drop away on either side and the long ridge you have just climbed is a reminder you have to return, together with a steep climb back on to the south top.’
      • ‘The cliffs drop away below in a tumble of honeyed sandstone rocks, and below the sun glints off the Pacific Ocean.’
      • ‘The rocky slopes dropped away abruptly into a plain scarred by dry creek-beds.’
      • ‘I strolled by sea grape hedges and through a gate to a limestone cliff dropping to the Atlantic.’
      • ‘Carry on up the ridge to the summit, then descend south-east to reach a steep little spur dropping almost due east.’
      • ‘Directly below, cliffs drop almost straight to the sea.’
      • ‘Standing on the edge of cliffs that drop suddenly, it's easy to imagine that this is the world's brink.’
      • ‘This charming village is huddled against a cliff which drops vertically to the river Dordogne.’
      • ‘The road from the top of the pass drops down to Lake Lyndon.’
      slope downwards, slope, slant downwards, descend, go down, decline, fall away, sink, dip
      View synonyms

  • 3Make or become lower, weaker, or less.

    with object ‘he dropped his voice as she came into the room’
    • ‘pre-tax profits dropped by 37 per cent’
    • ‘tourism has dropped off in the last few years’
    • ‘Energy demand might not drop much unless the price of energy doubled.’
    • ‘In addition, predictions that housing prices would drop began appearing in the local media.’
    • ‘Furious investors frantically sold their shares, causing the share price to drop 54 per cent in one day.’
    • ‘Temperatures dropped dangerously low, even for a Russian climate.’
    • ‘At night, the temperatures dropped almost intolerably low.’
    • ‘Her voice dropped to a whisper such that only the adjacent people could hear.’
    • ‘As you know copper and cobalt prices have dropped to their lowest levels in many years.’
    • ‘Share prices have dropped from a high of £2.35 to a meagre six pence.’
    • ‘A dramatic collapse in interest rates continues, with yields generally dropping to the lowest levels since early 1999.’
    • ‘Evidence showed that risks of birth defects would drop if mothers-to-be took more folic acid.’
    • ‘And among the best fathers, it turns out, testosterone levels actually drop significantly after the birth of a child.’
    • ‘When blood pressure drops, less blood flows to the brain, leading to fainting.’
    • ‘As night falls and temperatures drop below zero, the Bolivians start to party with fireworks and high jinks into the early hours.’
    • ‘Temperatures have dropped significantly since snow fell over the past few days.’
    • ‘When peak flow readings drop, it's a sign of increasing airway inflammation.’
    • ‘Grasshopper numbers will drop through the fall and most grasshoppers will die off with the first hard freeze.’
    • ‘In Tokyo, which is normally seen as leading the nationwide trend, consumer prices fell even further, dropping 1.2% in August.’
    • ‘Following his remand into custody the crime statistics for the area showed a massive fall and reported street crime dropped dramatically.’
    • ‘Since September of this year the figures have dropped considerably with 71 unemployed joining the workplace.’
    • ‘The average retirement age for a man has dropped from 67 in 1950 to 64 today.’
    decrease, lessen, make less, reduce, diminish, depreciate
    View synonyms

  • 4Abandon or discontinue (a course of action or study)

    ‘the charges against him were dropped last year’
    • ‘‘The thing about studying here is that you have to be able to drop everything in a second,’ she explains.’
    • ‘‘Angie has dropped everything for me and running the charity has changed both our lives,’ she said.’
    • ‘Should one drop everything to answer the phone?’
    • ‘If something comes up that has to be dealt with, I drop everything else, so that it can be done.’
    • ‘When dolphins beach themselves, entire seaside towns drop everything to whisk them back into the water.’
    • ‘The original charge was dropped without explanation over a year later.’
    • ‘They faced years in jail if convicted but nine months later all charges were dropped without explanation.’
    • ‘After years spent in and out of the courts, all charges were dropped without explanation or apology.’
    • ‘Men started to drop what they were doing and run back to the camp.’
    • ‘He can't expect everyone to drop what he or she is doing when he returns.’
    • ‘The idea must have been dropped soon after the initial request.’
    • ‘Within six months, controls on food would be dropped.’
    • ‘I think I'm right in saying that charges were brought but were subsequently dropped.’
    • ‘When the men smelled the cooked food, they dropped everything, washed hands and faces, and took a seat at the tables.’
    • ‘She decided the trial should go ahead despite being advised by the state attorney that the charges, brought by an investor group, should be dropped.’
    • ‘Many airlines are dropping Saturday-night stay requirements on some restricted fares.’
    • ‘A proposal to furlough employees for four to five unpaid days over winter break has been dropped.’
    • ‘In addition, a proposal to protect 1.2 million acres of owl habitat would be dropped.’
    • ‘By the time he came before the magistrates' court on 9th June 1994 the drug charges had been dropped.’
    • ‘What will happen if GPs decide to drop some of their services they currently provide?’
    give up, finish with, withdraw from, retire from, cancel
    View synonyms
    1. 4.1Discard or exclude (someone or something)
      ‘they were dropped from the team in the reshuffle’
      • ‘He was dropped from the test team in January 2002 and has received just one chance since.’
      • ‘Both photos were going into the article but one had to be dropped due to space and that is when the caption mix-up happened.’
      • ‘Freddie and his board were about to drop him when he quit.’
      • ‘If you were looking for ways to get dropped, scoring your first ever career hat-trick wouldn't be at the top of the list.’
      • ‘In those days you could be dropped for missing a tackle, and I know several players who got one or two caps when they should have had 30.’
      • ‘Believe me, our farm crew was 100 percent behind our decision to drop the smaller box size.’
      • ‘Jaycee, 22, whose looks like his father, has dropped Chan as his surname and adopted Fong, an old family name.’
      • ‘Peter congratulated him before asking which unfortunate soul had been dropped to make way for his young brother.’
      • ‘Two consequences flow from dropping so many products each year.’
      • ‘Foreign languages were on the list of subjects schools most commonly asked to be allowed to drop from the timetable for struggling pupils, it said.’
      • ‘Provisional ballots are a system designed to protect voters mistakenly dropped from the rolls or otherwise wrongly disqualified.’
      • ‘We ran them in error at 8pm last night and they were immediately dropped and deleted from our system after that.’
      • ‘Three former ministers dropped from the Cabinet a fortnight ago were appointed ministers of State.’
      • ‘By September of 2003, Time Warner decided to drop AOL from its name altogether.’
      • ‘Mental health campaign groups have welcomed reports that the government has decided to drop its controversial Mental Health Bill.’
      • ‘It was long after he established himself as such that he eventually decided, for his own reasons, to drop the ‘Montgomery’ from his name.’
      • ‘She decided to drop the random testing element of her bill.’
      • ‘The local weekly paper however decided to drop WPC Peters' story from the front page, for this!’
      • ‘It will also examine its product portfolio, dropping the less profitable lines.’
      • ‘I let kids know that if caught a second time in this, they will be dropped immediately from the course.’
      exclude, discard, expel, oust, throw out, leave out, get rid of
      View synonyms
    2. 4.2 informal Stop associating with.
      • ‘I was under pressure from family and friends to drop Barbara’
      • ‘Alex discovered why he has been dropped as a friend and a lover by Benny.’
      • ‘You drop all of your friends and family, you disappear for months at a time, and you're rude as hell when you finally do resurface!’
      • ‘I think you should just drop her.’
      • ‘He dropped all of his old friends and found new ones and within a month we had completely lost the boy we used to know.’
      • ‘What hurt the most is that he dropped me completely.’
      abandon, desert, throw over
      View synonyms

  • 5Set down or unload (a passenger or goods), especially on the way to somewhere else.

    ‘his mum dropped him outside and drove off to work’
    • ‘he dropped the load off at a dealer's’
    • ‘The driver dropped his passengers outside the Tib Street café before parking the vehicle on Dorsey Street.’
    • ‘The cab dropped her off outside of her apartment and she walked, with some difficulty, to the front door.’
    • ‘He dropped her off outside her apartment building, pressing the flowers into her hand.’
    • ‘The only problem is I can't drive for a while, so I need Wes to drop supplies off for me.’
    • ‘The truth of the matter is you could very well drop your 10-year-old off and pick him up eight hours later and find him as safe as when you left.’
    • ‘They rode back to the city, they had asked to be dropped at the supermarket hoping to buy necessary supplies.’
    • ‘After dropping Donny off to his worried parents, Donovan carried me back to the house.’
    • ‘After everything was packed up they dropped Karina and I at the gym.’
    • ‘Michael and I dropped Preacher John at his apartment, then took Rob home.’
    • ‘Cat dropped her cousin off and went to the police station as requested.’
    • ‘You can drop your puppy off on your way to work and let him spend the day playing and interacting with other dogs until you pick him up on your way home.’
    • ‘Older children drop their younger brothers and sisters at the bright and shiny preschool at the back of the school grounds before ambling on to their own classrooms.’
    • ‘Mrs Throup added that the football pitch would enhance the village's amenities and the car park would be used for parents dropping and picking up their children and for employees of the nursery.’
    • ‘The Royal Procession drops the Queen off at the paddock so that she can get a close look at her runner in the first race, Approval.’
    • ‘The bus driver, who dropped me there, wanted to give me a personal tour.’
    • ‘After a while we decided that it was pretty boring so he dropped me home.’
    • ‘‘One day, after dropping Stephen off, I realised I was being followed,’ she says.’
    • ‘If the roles were reversed, I wouldn't have hesitated in dropping him home.’
    • ‘After dropping Adam off, I drove to the local supermarket in the area, which is a Franklins store.’
    • ‘He offered to give him a lift to the airport, but Brigitte just wanted to be dropped at the bus stop.’
    remove, offload, discharge, jettison, drop, deliver, deposit, set down, leave, put off, tip out, pour out
    View synonyms
    1. 5.1with object and adverbial Put or leave in a particular place without ceremony or formality.
      ‘just drop it in the post when you've got time’
      • ‘At lunchtime I went down town and dropped the Bach score in on James.’
      • ‘Once you have completed the questionnaire drop it in to me at the clinic and make an appointment to discuss the results.’
      • ‘Mel and I head to the mall to shop for Daz's birthday present and then drop it round to the flat.’
      • ‘Cards should be dropped to the school within the next two weeks.’
      • ‘Alyson drops off two volumes of short stories and a novel.’
      deliver, bring, take, convey, carry, transport
      View synonyms
    2. 5.2Mention in passing, typically in order to impress.
      ‘she dropped a remark about having been included in the selection’
      • ‘No surprise Susan fell for Andrew from the start, and yes, she'd picked up on the marriage hints he'd casually dropped along the way.’
      • ‘That doesn't stop him from dropping the usual snide comments.’
      • ‘The writer / actor enjoys dropping names, making fancy comparisons, and expressing intellectualized insights.’
      • ‘All I could think is that if I had won this prize, you couldn't stop me from dropping the fact into every conversation I had from that point forward.’
      • ‘I spent the rest of the season casually dropping into any conversation I could that I once met Delia Smith.’
      • ‘Antinori, however, goes one step further and casually drops into the conversation that his team has cloned nine monkeys, ‘nine beautiful, healthy monkeys’.’
      • ‘One day, while out shooting, Francis casually drops into the conversation that he has a daughter, Anna, from a fling years ago, whose mother has just died.’
      • ‘Sure enough, on the drive back to Bandon, my obviously embarrassed sister tried as casually as she could to drop into conversation a message from my mother.’
      • ‘She drops into her reminiscences an account of a half - sister of hers who refused an arranged marriage, and was systematically starved, beaten and tortured by her father, with the knowledge and sanction of the community.’
      • ‘Their author, however, talks about them less as books and more as the conduit for their characters - which she drops into conversation as if they were old mutual acquaintances.’
      • ‘He's harder to read, sullen when you first meet him, but very relaxed in Georgia's company and given to deadpan asides that he drops into her indiscreet chatter.’
      mention, refer to, speak of, hint at
      View synonyms
    3. 5.3British informal (of a DJ) select and play (a record)
      • ‘various guest DJs drop quality tunes both old and new’
      • ‘As we waited for the start of the race, Wallace dropped Snoop Dogg rhymes, Nelly rhymes and Aerosmith rhymes.’
      • ‘Gone are the days when a DJ dropped all sorts in his sets.’
      • ‘He was talked into dropping some tunes for the late-night crowd.’
    4. 5.4 informal Release (a musical recording).
      • ‘With the album ready to drop, we caught up with the musician to talk bass, beats and… Love!’
      • ‘At age 25, she had a deal with Warner and a major-label debut ready to drop.’
      • ‘Instead, he drops Lost And Found, a record that brims with pride and purpose.’
      • ‘Just occasionally, they'll drop a deeply heartfelt record that forces you to check whether you're still listening to the same band!’
      • ‘Two months later, the band dropped their first full-length album.’

  • 6(in sport) fail to win (a point or a match)

    ‘the club have yet to drop a point in the Second Division’
    • ‘The Chinese have yet to drop a match and have only conceded two goals while Germany started well before going through a dry patch during the pool phase.’
    • ‘United could ill afford to drop a point in the championship race but after Paul Scholes slammed them into a 15th minute lead that possibility was never on the agenda.’
    • ‘The visitors were yet to drop any points, conceding only one goal in their five games prior to the Leigh match.’
    • ‘The Killarney side had yet to drop any league points and went into the match with six wins from six outings.’
    • ‘And having dropped four points in their previous two fixtures, the Londoners can ill afford to slip up again.’
    • ‘Two points behind Celtic, they cannot afford to rely on their rivals dropping points elsewhere along the way to the finish line and need the psychological boost of having their noses out in front.’
    • ‘With Albion dropping points Holme Wood Athletic are the new Premier leaders.’
    • ‘We felt that we had dropped two points against Bournemouth last week so it was important to get back to winning ways and keep in touch with the sides at the top of the table.’
    • ‘Athletic have not dropped a point since the beginning of October.’
    • ‘Ukraine dropped three points and probably suffered a blow to their morale.’
    • ‘The Derbyshire club had dropped points just once before this season after winning seven and drawing one of the first eight games to open a four point gap at the top.’
    • ‘Bradford Boys have dropped their first points of the season in the Under-15 Yorkshire Cup.’
    • ‘People are going to drop points and it's up to us to capitalise on that.’
    • ‘The 2002 Wimbledon finalist has yet to drop a set in four matches.’
    • ‘But this was a richly deserved triumph for Lindsay Davenport who went through the tournament without dropping a set.’
    • ‘The Bulls now languish mid table after dropping both of their Easter weekend matches against the competition's top two clubs.’
    • ‘Again, however, the Warriors fell short, dropping the contest 60-47.’
    • ‘Phil Mickelson drops a shot and falls back to a tie for third with the amateur Ricky Barnes.’
    • ‘Unfortunately her second round fell apart as she dropped two shots to par with a 74.’
    • ‘As the wind increased he kept his score intact, dropping only one shot on the treacherous back nine at 15 seeing a birdie putt the last just lip out.’
    lose, fail to win, concede, miss out on, give away, let slip
    View synonyms
    1. 6.1 informal Lose (money) through gambling.
      • ‘he reckoned I'd dropped forty thousand pounds’
      • ‘Before you step into a studio and drop your hard earned money, here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself beforehand.’
      • ‘I have dropped 10000 dollars so far.’
      • ‘Three Saudi Arabian princes dropped more than $6 million on the roulette wheel at the Monte Carlo Casino.’
      • ‘This player was clearly a solid gold customer, dropping over 20 thousand.’
      • ‘Now don't get me wrong, I haven't dropped thousands of dollars. Not even hundreds of dollars.’

  • 7Bridge
    Be forced to play (a relatively high card) as a loser under an opponent's higher card, because it is the only card in its suit held in the hand.

    ‘East drops the 10 on the second round’
    • ‘Face cards are dropped on face cards or aces of the same color.’
    • ‘The 3 of diamonds, the lowest card in the deck now becomes the start card if you dropped the two cards I suggested.’
    • ‘Alternatively you need the jack with enough cards in your trump suit that you can reasonably hope to drop the 9 when you lead your jack.’

noun

  • 1A small round or pear-shaped portion of liquid that hangs or falls or adheres to a surface.

    ‘the first drops of rain splashed on the ground’
    • ‘By the time we finished walking round the projects, it was dark and the first drops of rain were beginning to fall.’
    • ‘We had dinner with Anne, Will, Jane, Liz and Bill on Friday evening and a few drops of rain fell.’
    • ‘We topped the pass as the first drops of rain fell, and then beat the storm in a reckless 20 kilometres downhill dash.’
    • ‘Abruptly the sky darkened again, and fat drops of rain fell.’
    • ‘With a sewing needle from her bedside table, Marylyn pricked her finger and squeezed it until two drops of blood fell onto the sheets.’
    • ‘I watched as the drops of condensation fell from the glass of orange juice.’
    • ‘As she steps on shore, drops of blood fall on the stones.’
    • ‘Rain fell harder now; large drops of it fell and landed all around them.’
    • ‘After all it is just drops of water falling from the sky.’
    • ‘Camomile tea is good for a bad stomach, but also helps you to fall asleep, like a couple of drops of lavender oil on your pillow.’
    • ‘Make your own tinted moisturizer by mixing a few drops of your favorite liquid foundation with your facial moisturizer.’
    • ‘But small drops of water have fallen onto the page, diluting the charcoal, smearing the picture, and bringing me back to reality.’
    • ‘If the drops don't grow large enough, they can begin falling as tiny drizzle drops, but these often evaporate before reaching the ground.’
    • ‘I see not water drops, but tears falling from sad eyes.’
    • ‘I was thinking about the way the rain falls, finding fellow drops.’
    • ‘Just then Jake felt a few drops of rain hit his nose, and blinked.’
    • ‘Before he could return his hands to his pockets, a drop of water splashed onto his arm.’
    • ‘When the cold aircraft strikes a supercooled drop of water, part of the drop freezes instantly and sticks to the aircraft's skin.’
    • ‘The canopy was so dense that it took 10 minutes of steady rain before I felt the first drop.’
    • ‘The freezing point varied slightly each time, and from that variation they could determine the rate at which the drop would freeze for a given temperature.’
    • ‘A drop of rain fell onto my nose, which sent a chill down my back.’
    • ‘The narrow nozzle serves to atomize the flowing liquid - break it up into tiny drops, which form a fine spray.’
    droplet, blob, globule, bead, bubble, tear, dot, spheroid, oval
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1often with negative A very small amount of liquid.
      ‘there was not a drop of water in sight’
      • ‘It was true when we were taught to save every grain and every drop of water.’
      • ‘A £40 million pipeline has never carried a drop of water since it was built in North Yorkshire more than seven years ago.’
      • ‘He explains how precious every drop of water is in their lives.’
      • ‘Every drop of treated water has to be paid for.’
      • ‘In agriculture, every drop of water can be utilised by installing the drip irrigation system.’
      • ‘Strangely, not a drop of water spilled over the side.’
      • ‘He doesn't seem to be tired and hasn't taken a drop of water since we started.’
      • ‘To ensure that every drop of water is properly utilised, beneficiaries in rural or urban areas should be reasonably charged on the basis of the quantity used.’
      • ‘Because of the dry season there was not one tiny drop of water in the river.’
      • ‘They are not beggars; they do not want even a drop of water, if they have no right to it.’
      • ‘A light, wonderfully rich moisturiser which claims to work on rehydrating the skin in much the same way that a single drop of water can bring to life plants found in the deserts of South Africa.’
      • ‘She has not had a drop of water for almost two weeks.’
      • ‘The cold water tap produces nothing, not even a drop of liquid.’
      • ‘Add just a drop of water and cream this to a paste.’
      • ‘People living in these areas have to wait for hours altogether and sometimes they to wait for days altogether for a single drop of water.’
      • ‘The area is so dry that places have been recorded to go for more than three years at a time without a single drop of water.’
      • ‘The brown plastic basin hadn't gotten a single drop of blood on it.’
      • ‘In truth this sum is a mere drop in the ocean to the Chancellor.’
      • ‘"We realize that what we are accomplishing is a drop in the ocean.’
      • ‘When the last few drops of the liquid entered my mouth the mug began to shake in my hands.’
      small amount, little, bit, dash, spot, soupçon
      View synonyms
    2. 1.2usually with negative A small drink of spirits.
      ‘he doesn't touch a drop during the week’
      • ‘You have lost that disturbed look on your face and without drinking a drop of this delicious brandy I've brought for you.’
      • ‘He has not touched a drop of drink for three years.’
      • ‘I haven't touched a drop of liquor since, and promptly gave away all of my cigarettes to friends on New Year's Day.’
      • ‘Tell me never to touch another drop of alcohol and it's done.’
      • ‘Right then and there she promised herself that she would never touch another drop of alcohol as long as she lived.’
      • ‘The only parties I go to are school dances and I've never touched a drop of alcohol in my life.’
      • ‘I got a job in a large shipbuilding firm and for the first two weeks I didn't touch a drop of alcohol.’
      • ‘Though I never touched a drop of booze that day, I had a drunken smile on my face from start to finish.’
      • ‘He seems relaxed and happy for the first time in years, hasn't touched a drop of booze since his time in The Priory more than two years ago, and his life is definitely back on track.’
      • ‘I was that wound up that I couldn't even drink a drop of beer.’
      • ‘I didn't have a drop to drink until I was 18 and then I showed up at college and drank like a fish.’
      • ‘Every drop of liquor in the house was cleaned out.’
      • ‘Revelry and bonhomie everywhere, but not a drop to drink.’
      • ‘The message that if you're driving, don't drink a drop is not getting through.’
      • ‘He's very keen on certain diets and as for drinking, I have never seen him touch a drop.’
      • ‘It was strange, to buy a bottle of great wine for my guests and know I wouldn't drink a drop.’
      • ‘I spent last night doing a spot of drawing, and while I did have a couple of drinks on the 24th, I didn't touch a drop yesterday.’
      • ‘You are cordially invited to a reception and vigil with plenty of tea, sympathy and more than a drop of the hard stuff.’
      • ‘He shrugged, utterly nonchalant, and it was then she realised he hadn't touched a drop of rum all evening.’
      • ‘To cope with the stress of sudden fame he took to drink, but these days never touches a drop.’
      alcoholic drink, strong drink, drink, liquor, intoxicant
      View synonyms
    3. 1.3dropsLiquid medication to be measured or applied in very small amounts.
      ‘eye drops’
      • ‘Your child's doctor will give you antibiotic ointment or drops along with specific instructions on how to care for your child.’
      • ‘Pink eye is usually treated with antibiotic drops or ointment.’
      • ‘Bacterial conjunctivitis can be treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointment, which can only be obtained with a prescription from your doctor.’
      • ‘To treat conjunctivitis in a newborn, doctors may use antibiotics, eye drops, or ointment.’
      • ‘Infective conjunctivitis caused by bacteria is usually treated with antibiotic drops or ointment, in the affected eye.’
      • ‘Your baby's eyes will be treated with medicated drops or ointment.’
      • ‘After the operation, you will be given eye drops containing a steroid to help reduce inflammation, and an antibiotic to stop the eye getting infected.’
      • ‘If you have bacterial conjunctivitis, you might need to use antibiotic eye drops.’
      • ‘Steroid nasal sprays and drops help to prevent all nose symptoms, including, sneezing and congestion.’
      • ‘In a week, after treatment with steroid drops and tablets, the inflammation subsided.’
      • ‘I had a box of medication - eye drops and ointments.’
      • ‘Echinacea is a herbal medicine available as drops or tablets.’
      • ‘When faced with a patient who is lactose intolerant, many health professionals recommend lactase pills or drops.’
      • ‘In nonfluoridated areas, your child's doctor or dentist may prescribe fluoride drops, tablets, or vitamins.’
      • ‘For watering eyes, antihistamine eye drops work quickly and are suitable for people with eye symptoms that come and go.’
      • ‘The number of capsules, tablets, drops, or dropperfuls of solution that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.’
      • ‘If you do use decongestant nasal drops or sprays, be careful to take them for no more than three days.’
      • ‘After Caleb was dressed the doctor came back with his medicated drops and he was ready to go.’
      • ‘Antihistamine drops that are very well tolerated also are available, and those are prescription.’
      • ‘Just like any other medicine, eye drops can cause side effects.’

  • 2usually in singular An instance of falling or dropping.

    ‘they left within five minutes of the drop of the curtain’
    • ‘Suddenly, the ship halted with the drop of the anchor.’
    • ‘The crowd of spectators sat on the edges of their seats, waiting with bated breath for the drop of the violet flag.’
    • ‘The sale is binding upon both seller and buyer at the drop of the hammer.’
    • ‘The missile weighed 23,000 pounds and the drop was successful.’
    1. 2.1An act of dropping supplies or troops by parachute.
      ‘the planes finally managed to make the drop’
      • ‘The council offered to arrange for a helicopter drop of supplies.’
      • ‘One of the most obvious lessons Stirling learned was that a parachute drop could be a disaster.’
      • ‘There was, however, no way of contacting them and arranging for a parachute drop.’
      • ‘At any time, however, if any doubt arises the pilot can abort the drop - caution is considered an asset.’
      • ‘The mood of VE day will be re-created with a massive free party in the park on Sunday, which will feature Second World War vehicles and a parachute drop, weather permitting.’
      • ‘After flying back from Copenhagen, he says he got straight on the phone to the authorities and all he did in the end was broker a deal to supply the transport plane used in the drop.’
      • ‘‘Greg, I need a report on enemy ground troops before I go in for a drop,’ he said through his headset.’
      • ‘The rain was so heavy during the ammunition drop that the aircraft hovering on top of the trees could barely be seen from the ground.’
      • ‘The most important decision made by Stirling was that any insertion into enemy territory would be best done by going overland - not by parachute drop.’
      • ‘Parachute drops could be made by Whitley and Wellington bombers.’
      • ‘I was reminded of the part in A Bridge Too Far when the only supply drop the encircled Allied troops actually manage to retrieve contains nothing but burgundy berets.’
      • ‘Ok, now I imagine on a trek like this you carry your food and all supplies, or are there food drops or some basic support?’
      • ‘The Abwehr conducted four parachute drops to re-supply them with equipment, radios and cash.’
      • ‘We made the drop a few minutes later but, because of darkness, could not tell if it was close to the kayak.’
      • ‘He would time the drop to occur at the same instant as a burst of friendly shots.’
      • ‘The food drop, thus far, seems to be a propaganda exercise, not a serious attempt to win favor by helping to address a humanitarian crisis.’
      • ‘Of the eight planes that set out, only four were able to make their drops.’
      • ‘An article in the Post suggests the US military was ready to begin emergency food drops into New Orleans much earlier in the week.’
    2. 2.2A fall in amount, quality, or rate.
      ‘a significant drop in consumer spending’
      • ‘While, in comparison to last summer, the employment rate has taken a slight drop, the numbers are by no means a bad omen.’
      • ‘The drop was largely due to changes in conversion rates.’
      • ‘This corresponds to a drop from an annual gross emigration rate of 14.8 percent to 3.7 percent of the population.’
      • ‘He welcomed the drop that had occurred in UK birth rates.’
      • ‘No current literacy statistic is available, but in 1995 the rate was estimated to be 42 percent, a sharp drop from the previous decade.’
      • ‘Meeting analysts' expectations was necessary to avoid a sharp drop in share prices.’
      • ‘Swindon is one of the worst performing towns, seeing a 1.6 per cent drop in prices.’
      • ‘China Eastern has experienced a 20 per cent drop in the number of passengers taking Sino-US routes since September 11.’
      • ‘Sports facilities in York have suffered a dramatic drop in visitor numbers, despite huge support to keep them open.’
      • ‘The economic slowdown in the US has led to a precipitous drop in tax revenues for states and municipalities.’
      • ‘There has been a big decrease in unemployment over the past year, with a drop of 583 since October 1999.’
      • ‘The drop from 44.7 to 43.7 completed a full year of decline for the sector.’
      • ‘This drop could mean as much as a 50 percent decrease in heart disease risk.’
      • ‘What has been unusual in recent years has been the speed of manufacturing's decline - a drop of five percentage points of output share in as many years.’
      • ‘The massive fall-off in lucrative television revenue means a drop of at least £14m.’
      • ‘There were reductions all over the Bay, with the biggest drop recorded in the Eastern Bay with 25 per cent fewer crime complaints.’
      • ‘Housing prices in general continued to decline in April, with a drop of 7.1 per cent.’
      • ‘A fitter person can experience a drop of more than 50 beats in the first minute.’
      • ‘Manufacturing saw a drop of 17,000 jobs and 11,000 jobs were lost in transportation, mostly trucking.’
      • ‘That is a significant drop of some 30,000 crimes.’
      decrease, reduction, decline, lowering, lessening, falling off, fall-off, downturn, slump
      View synonyms
    3. 2.3An abrupt or steep fall or slope.
      ‘a sheer 1,500-foot drop’
      • ‘I peeked at my surroundings every minute or so, which is why my heart fell into my stomach at the sight of the steep drop.’
      • ‘The second mile is a huge drop into Brooklyn, and by about halfway, in the borough of Queens, 12 flat miles are followed by a climb, a drop and another steep climb.’
      • ‘But get to the top and gaze over Callander, and you soon realise how steep the drop is: you have climbed higher than 1,000 ft.’
      • ‘With its thick, stone wall to our right and a steep drop to our left, we didn't dare take our eyes off the narrow path for long.’
      • ‘First there are steep stone steps, then a gradual rise, a levelling out, a swoop to the top and a steep drop to the stone steps on the other side.’
      • ‘Last night it was still not clear whether the group had had a torch, but there are a series of notices on the cliff-top path warning of a steep drop.’
      • ‘The steep drop to the creek was an easy place for the disposal of the highwaymen's victims.’
      • ‘A short distance from this site, Mr Tobin stops his van at the side of the mountain road where there is a steep drop to a stream.’
      • ‘A section of loose shale and small boulders, next to a steep drop to the creek, gives us a sample of things to come.’
      • ‘We were on a very narrow road with a steep drop along the right hand side, and were going along quite slowly when the off side wheels went over the edge.’
      • ‘He relaxed in the sun, near the edge of a ten-meter drop that hit the slope of the mountain.’
      • ‘Many follow the island's 1,365 miles of irrigation channels, called levadas, stretches of which run along steep slopes with precipitous drops to one side.’
      • ‘On the third morning of his trek across the mountains, he found himself on the edge of a steep cliff, with a drop of several hundred feet before him.’
      • ‘Then you've got these 30 ft drops you gotta be careful of.’
      • ‘I got to my feet slowly, well aware of the drop only a few feet away.’
      • ‘It must be waterproof, vermin-proof and able to survive a 100-foot drop without a parachute.’
      • ‘The main gates could be opened with a strong shoulder alone, and beyond them was only a drop of a few hundred feet.’
      • ‘Mr Teasdale had put on last year's ski video in an attempt to take nervous people's mind off the drop which was a few feet from their right.’
      • ‘The drop is somewhere between five and seven feet.’
      • ‘He plunged down the sheer drop and landed in the stream.’
      cliff, abyss, chasm, gorge, gully, precipice
      View synonyms
    4. 2.4the drop informal The relegation of a sports team to a lower league or division.
      • ‘they only just avoided the drop last season’
      • ‘It wasn't the best of seasons for Coventry as they just avoided the drop to League One, but with a new stadium ready to go on August 20 hopes are high of a renaissance this term.’
      • ‘The target was to stay in Division Two and avoid the drop to the Third Division and the ensuing havoc that would cause.’
      • ‘At the other end of the table, several big clubs that consider themselves established Premiership sides are in danger of the drop to the Football League Championship.’
      • ‘Last season they only finished one place above the drop and with powerful teams coming up from the Conference each year it won't get much easier.’
      • ‘It's a far cry from last season when they narrowly avoided the drop with victory against Bournemouth on the last day.’
      • ‘Before Saturday, City were two points above the drop zone, had won just twice in the last 12 games, and were playing like a team destined for the drop.’
      • ‘As fate would have it both team survived the drop, but their coaches were not so lucky.’
      • ‘He said the drop to Division One was opportunity to turn a new leaf at the club and said he was willing to be part of that effort if asked.’
      • ‘The Bridgefold club triumphed 8-6 and now look favourites to avoid the drop.’
      • ‘Like many people, Fulham were high among my pre-season favourites for the drop from the Premiership.’
      • ‘The team went through three coaching changes as it battled relegation for much of the season, just avoiding the drop on the final day of the league campaign.’
      • ‘So I am backing Crystal Palace to avoid the drop.’
      • ‘I'd love to be able to gaze into a crystal ball and tell the world (or at least this keyboard) who is going to be avoid the drop.’
      • ‘With that in mind, Ipswich are likely to go all out for the win that would put them level with Bolton and back in with a realistic chance of avoiding the drop.’
      • ‘Now they must avoid the drop, or the future of the club is very bleak.’
      • ‘The battle to avoid the drop is set for a dramatic climax.’
      • ‘The bottom of the Second Division couldn't be any tighter, with up to ten clubs all desperately battling to avoid the drop.’
      • ‘You couldn't tell who were the team fighting to beat the drop.’
      • ‘A five-match unbeaten run has given Torquay a fighting chance of beating the drop after seemingly being relegation certainties a few weeks ago.’
      • ‘The team only narrowly managed to escape the drop last season.’
      relegation, demotion, lowering, reduction, downgrading
      View synonyms
    5. 2.5the dropBridge The playing of a high card underneath an opponent's higher card, because it is the only card in its suit held in the hand.
      ‘do you play for the drop now or finesse the 9?’
      • ‘With nine cards you should play for the drop.’
      • ‘He would have gone down had he played for the drop of the spade queen.’

  • 3 informal A delivery.

    • ‘I got to the depot and made the drop’
    • ‘The Royal Mail was this morning searching all post to pick out voting papers, to be delivered in special drops or collected by town hall staff.’
    • ‘Later the same night, two men dressed in dark-coloured hooded tops and wraparound-style sunglasses confronted the delivery man as he made the drop in Avenue Terrace.’
    • ‘Our previous delivery van had to make several drops and then return to the depot.’
    1. 3.1US A letter box.
    2. 3.2A hiding place for stolen, illicit, or secret things.
      ‘the lavatory's water cistern could be used as a letter drop’
      • ‘After the coup, he ran a newspaper stand, which functioned as a letter drop for the clandestine Communist Party.’
      • ‘Our requests were usually met, although there were occasional adjustments in types of weapons sent and frequent changes in time or locations of drops.’
      • ‘On the plus side, it does enable you to act out your John Le Carre Cold War fantasies with no shortage of dead letter drops and darkened doorways from which to covertly observe the locals.’
      • ‘A tin can filled with information - part of a dead drop - was smeared with messy motor oil.’
      • ‘Hell, you'll probably get arrested for the mail box drop too.’

  • 4usually with modifier A small, round sweet or lozenge.

    ‘a chocolate drop’
    • ‘His wearying recourse to the one-liner is the literary equivalent of tossing choc drops to the reader.’
    • ‘Dogs with a sweet tooth can fulfil their wish through chocolate milk drops which are safe as they contain minimal amount of cocoa which vets say is harmful to dogs.’
    • ‘Suck on hard candy, such as lemon drops or peppermint to decrease bitter or bad tastes in your mouth.’
    • ‘‘Do you need a cough drop?’ he asked, politely.’
    • ‘Instead, I rummage through my bag, even though I'm sure all my cough drops are gone.’
    sweet, lozenge, pastille, piece of confectionery
    View synonyms

  • 5An earring that hangs down from the earlobe.

    ‘simple amethyst and diamond drops’
    • ‘Her short dark blond hair was curled around a simple Russian tiara with matching diamond drop earrings.’
    • ‘There were freshwater pearl drop earrings and a matching five-stringed pearl choker, framed in delicate rose gold.’
    • ‘I ended up wearing a blue satin dress and pearl drop earrings.’
    • ‘Alicia returned her attentions to the mirror and slipped her favourite pearl drop earrings into her lobes.’
    • ‘The land was bought after selling off Amina's earrings and drops.’

  • 6A section of theatrical scenery lowered from the flies; a drop cloth or drop curtain.

    ‘Judd's sets consisted of green and blue upstage drops that moved through a number of positions but did not further encroach on the open space of the stage.’
    • ‘Specialty weddings can be held on stage with elaborate drops and lighting.’
    • ‘There are also major costs associated with rehabilitating the beautiful drops that the theatre owns.’
    drape, curtain, drop, drop cloth, drop curtain, drop scene, tableau curtain, frontal, dossal
    View synonyms

  • 7A trapdoor on a gallows, the opening of which causes the prisoner to fall and thus be hanged.

    ‘warders, standing on planks, invariably flanked the prisoners on the drop’
    • ‘Once placed on the drop of the gallows Baird addressed the silent crowd.’
    • ‘Once assembled on the drop, the hangman, probably Edward Dennis, put the nooses round their necks while they prayed with the Ordinary.’
    • ‘Smith the Hangman placed him in the centre of the drop.’
    1. 7.1the dropExecution by hanging.
      ‘Some, who might have come miles to see ‘the drop’, were determined to have a good time - almost as though it was a holiday or they had gone to a carnival.’
      • ‘A large number of men and women sentenced to the drop had their sentences commuted by the Home Secretary.’
      hanging, gibbeting
      View synonyms

Phrases

    a drop in the ocean

    • A very small amount compared with what is needed or expected.

      ‘the £550 million saving is likely to be a drop in the ocean’
      • ‘Even so, the amount of money is still a drop in the bucket when compared to the size of the growing global mental health epidemic.’
      • ‘Although she was pleased with the £25 increase in child benefit, she felt it was a drop in the ocean when compared to childcare costs and the expense of rearing children.’
      • ‘Still, it's a drop in the bucket when you compare it to the overall budget.’
      • ‘It is a drop in the ocean compared with the overall cost of the policing operation.’
      • ‘‘This is just a drop in the ocean compared to what will happen in Scotland, as our pubs have always been less profitable than Irish pubs,’ he said.’
      • ‘And the money is just a drop in the ocean compared with the real cost of restoring the county's roads, according to opposition councillors.’
      • ‘In any case, the incentives a government could reasonably offer are a drop in the ocean compared with the total cost of raising a child.’
      • ‘Recall that sales at Whole Foods were $3 billion in 2003 - a drop in the bucket compared with the $900 billion Americans spent on food in 2002.’
      • ‘The public knows this is a drop in the bucket compared with what's needed.’
      • ‘That's a drop in the bucket compared with the knowledge stored in the world's libraries.’
    at the drop of a hat
    informal

    • Without hesitation or good reason.

      • ‘he used to be very bashful, blushing at the drop of a hat’
      • ‘She's still experiencing sleepless nights and cries at the drop of a hat.’
      • ‘We do not take parents to court at the drop of a hat.’
      • ‘Most small business employers aren't callous mongrels who sack workers unfairly or at the drop of a hat to gain a sense of power.’
      • ‘Last night, shocked parishioners spoke glowingly of her as a friend and neighbour and as a lady who would do one a good turn at the drop of a hat.’
      • ‘Lisa's inclined to change her mind at the drop of a hat.’
      • ‘I can't just take time off at the drop of a hat.’
      • ‘He's dangerously self-absorbed, and bursts into tears at the drop of a hat.’
      • ‘It's funny how kids can change allegiances at the drop of a hat, whereas adults bear grudges over years and decades.’
      • ‘Today, car loans are available at the drop of a hat, and second hand cars come at throwaway prices.’
      • ‘He was known for his generosity and friendliness - but he could turn nasty at the drop of a hat.’
    drop a brick
    British informal

    • Make an indiscreet or embarrassing remark.

      • ‘he dropped a brick when he admitted that he knew where we were going’
      • ‘Three former TV soap stars stepped back into the limelight this week - and dropped a brick.’
      • ‘As always, the career starts at the very bottom and brings a lot of disappointments and she often drops a brick.’
      • ‘Whether you visit Japan as a tourist or a businessman - there'll be many occasions for you to drop a brick!’
      • ‘He seems to have rather dropped a brick when he told the Assembly "‘South Australia does not own the Northern Territory, only manages it’.’
      • ‘Every time she spoke, she dropped a brick.’
    drop a curtsy
    British

    • Make a curtsy.

      ‘when she was presented to His Majesty she dropped a deep curtsy’
      • ‘She was only meant to drop a curtsy to royalty.’
      • ‘She dropped a curtsey with the air of one who had attended one of the more exclusive academies.’
      • ‘‘No one, sir,’ she answered, dropping a curtsy.’
      • ‘‘Your Majesties,’ Charlotte said, dropping a curtsy before leaving the room.’
      • ‘Emily looked at the young man, and quickly dropped a curtsy, ‘I'm sure they are going somewhere very important.’’
      • ‘Out of long habit and the conduct that my training had ingrained in me, I immediately dropped a curtsy, despite having been caught off guard by the unexpected introduction.’
      • ‘I blinked and dropped a curtsy, which seemed to satisfy my father for the moment.’
      • ‘She dropped a curtsey and led them out of the room.’
      • ‘The girl dropped a curtsey before bustling over to Eliza.’
      • ‘The young girl stepped forward and dropped a curtsey equally as beautiful as her mother's.’
    drop a hint

    • Give a hint or hints as if casually or unconsciously.

      ‘he was dropping hints that in future he would be taking a back seat in politics’
      • ‘Then she drops a hint about where the transport expansion will be.’
      • ‘In his journal Neil drops a hint about a visit to Holland in April.’
      • ‘Now that I think about it, maybe she was dropping a hint.’
      • ‘He had dropped a hint when he was here a couple of months ago.’
      • ‘Got a crush and want to drop a hint without being too obvious?’
      • ‘Leaving her father would be difficult, and Mrs. Weston drops a hint that though Emma has no prospects at present, in the future her son could make a good match.’
      • ‘I think dad might have dropped a hint to him that I might be bringing a friend.’
      • ‘At the meeting Gormley dropped a hint as to how a settlement might be arrived at without breaching the government's pay policy.’
      • ‘He didn't think he should ask, so he hoped someone would drop a hint.’
      • ‘I think that Jack isn't the commitment type though because every time I drop a hint he looks at me with a blank expression.’
    drop a stitch

    • Let a stitch fall off the end of a knitting needle.

      ‘She ruined the scarf she was knitting after dropping a stitch in fright.’
      • ‘She shuttles back and forth from the personal to the political, without dropping a stitch.’
      • ‘She frequently dropped a stitch and her clumsy, fluttering hands always became entangled with the yarn till she ended up with an endless row of impossible knots.’
      • ‘She had her knitting in her lap and was trying to concentrate on her stitches when she heard tapping at her window. Darn it! She dropped a stitch.’
    drop asleep

    • Fall gently asleep, especially without intending to.

      ‘they were so tired that they were dropping asleep’
      • ‘We'd get in about two in the morning and I'd be dropping asleep at school the next day.’
      • ‘I didn't make a conscious decision to go to bed, I was in my bedroom, I laid on my bed and dropped asleep.’
      • ‘In the afternoon, trying to research a story about Creationist schools, I find myself dropping asleep at my desk, drooling into my keyboard.’
      • ‘He winked and blinked, and thought it all frightfully monotonous out there on the flat, and presently dropped asleep, sitting bolt upright.’
      • ‘I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, and indeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of his chair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind, and put his pipe down upon the mantelpiece.’
      • ‘She laid on the top of him when he happened to drop asleep over his book.’
    drop dead

    • 1Die suddenly and unexpectedly.

      ‘she had seen her father drop dead of a heart attack’
      • ‘After his wife suddenly drops dead while vacuuming, his life takes an unexpected turn.’
      • ‘Suddenly he drops dead and his soul is whisked away, to his not inconsiderable consternation, to heaven to be judged.’
      • ‘Only later did the pair find out that it was also the name of a racehorse which had performed well in country meetings for a while before suddenly dropping dead.’
      • ‘She came to live in Bolton after her husband William suddenly dropped dead and she had to give up the pub.’
      • ‘When he was eventually released, he suddenly dropped dead - perhaps from brain damage sustained in detention.’
      • ‘In Boston, 32 people with pacemakers, all within a 10-block radius, suddenly drop dead.’
      • ‘Cod liver oil isn't fashionable any longer, but cutting edge research has just shown that omega - 3 fats in fish oil can keep both men and women from dropping dead suddenly.’
      • ‘His father had dropped dead of a heart attack and a 28-year-old uncle suffered the same fate.’
      • ‘How can a perfectly healthy 26-year-old guy just drop dead all of sudden?’
      • ‘Born into a ‘lower middle-class family’ in a village outside Slough, she saw her father, a Polish émigré, drop dead in front of her when she was six years old.’
      • ‘If I am to believe my Chinese friends, my health is so poor, I am in danger of dropping dead at any minute.’
      1. 1.1 informal in imperative Used as an expression of intense scorn or dislike.
        • ‘why don't you just drop dead?’
        • ‘‘Neil really is a nice guy,’ I said coldly. ‘I hope you drop dead.’’
        • ‘Every one of you guys should just drop dead and go to hell.’
        • ‘William murmured into her ear through clenched teeth. ‘Drop dead.’’
    drop names

    • Casually mention the names of famous people one knows or claims to know in order to impress others.

      ‘he still can't resist dropping names and taking credit’
      • ‘A respected writer and academic, he drops names like confetti, judges everyone, hates to lose at anything and has an arrogance that knows no bounds.’
      • ‘Initially, the characters seem a drawback, particularly Ford, a one-note hustler always dropping names on his cellphone as he walks the streets of New York.’
      • ‘One makes a point of talking really fast, using big words, and dropping names of academic writers in a field he's studied and knows you haven't.’
      • ‘In literary conversations, he is only capable of repeating cant phrases and dropping names.’
      • ‘He's not a man for dropping names, and his two feet are firmly planted on the ground.’
      • ‘I have always found it hilarious when people drop names inaccurately, an ever present peril for those in whom ambition exceeds capacity for detail.’
      • ‘These gave him a chance to drop names, review an adventurous life, and get in a few cracks about the ignorant press.’
      • ‘The film's young protagonist is a High Culture caricature, a bookish revolutionary who parades about in sports jackets and ties, dropping names and spewing lines from poetry and drama by Swinburne, Wilde and Shaw.’
      • ‘There is no need for us to impress others by dropping names or touting our achievements for ‘the closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.’’
      • ‘He reverted back to his horrible habit of dropping names.’
    drop one's serve

    • (in tennis) lose a game in which one is serving.

      ‘He overcame dropping his serve in the opening game of the first set to break the Italian seventh seed twice to take the set.’
      • ‘She lost concentration in the fifth game to drop her serve again.’
      • ‘Serena, who returned from eight months off in March after knee surgery following her Wimbledon win, looked in form despite dropping her serve once in the fourth game of the second set against her 51st-ranked opponent.’
      • ‘But needing two games for victory, Henman dropped his serve for the first time against the Slovakian.’
      • ‘But she failed to take advantage of her opportunity to extend the match to a third set, dropped her serve, and made little impression in the tiebreak.’
      • ‘The German dropped his serve at 1-1 when he made a forehand error, and Canas held his serve comfortably to decide the first set.’
      • ‘When he dropped his serve at the start of the third set with yet another fluffed forehand, he smacked his racket down and growled as it bounced above his shoulder.’
      • ‘Godwin dropped his serve again early in both the second and third sets.’
      • ‘Having gone a break up, he dropped his serve but it was no cause for alarm.’
      • ‘He didn't drop his serve throughout the match, winning 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.’
    drop one's trousers

    • Deliberately let one's trousers fall down, especially in a public place.

      ‘a clown performs the ultimate English joke—he drops his trousers’
      • ‘Fame has lost its meaning in the world we live in: you can be famous for dropping your trousers outside Buckingham Palace.’
      • ‘The meeting, attended by most of the pubs in the town, also heard that the teenagers reacted violently when challenged and had been seen dropping their trousers at passing motorists.’
      • ‘He threatened to urinate over the police, but instead resorted to dropping his trousers and showing his behind.’
      • ‘Still watching the events, the taxi driver witnessed one of the youths approaching the table and dropping his trousers.’
      • ‘These are the people who dropped their trousers and ‘mooned’ at Buckingham Palace a few years ago to an audience consisting mainly of police officers and Daily Mail reporters.’
      • ‘Last year two ‘gentlemen’ outside our window dropped their trousers and relieved themselves in full view of tenants and children.’
      • ‘Some of the group were also alleged to have dropped their trousers and made lewd comments, reducing one girl to tears.’
      • ‘After knocking politely on the door, I stepped inside and dropped my trousers.’
      • ‘The Queen got an unexpected view on Tuesday when one of her guests dropped his trousers and dashed off among the tea-drinking crowd at Buckingham Palace.’
      • ‘Police are hunting a man who exposed himself after he dropped his trousers to walkers in a Warminster park.’
    drop someone a line

    • Send someone a note or letter in a casual manner.

      ‘drop me a line at the usual address’
      • ‘So if you're interested and in town over the festive period then drop me a line and I'll send you details.’
      • ‘And when he dropped me a line about it, my reaction was the same.’
      • ‘Thank you if you've ever commented or dropped me a line about something - it's always hugely appreciated, and shows I must be doing something right.’
      • ‘I couldn't find an email address on your site, so I thought I'd just drop you a line here.’
      • ‘So in the spirit of the season and for old times sake, we just thought we'd drop you a line to say thanks.’
      • ‘If you would like to cash in by selling your collection to us then please drop us a line with both a description and an image.’
      • ‘We also hope to get the bus companies involved in helping out, and if anyone can help us financially, or with banners, they can drop us a line.’
      • ‘If you want to make a case for your hometown, please drop us a line.’
      • ‘If you're interested in applying or would like to find out more, drop us a line.’
      • ‘They're on the lookout for designers who want to submit art for use on their site, so if you're interested please drop them a line.’
    drop the ball
    North American informal

    • Make a mistake; mishandle things.

      • ‘I really dropped the ball on this one’
      • ‘Does it create the perception that we're dropping the ball somehow?’
      • ‘I'm not dropping the ball on my other work roles.’
      • ‘The only thing I'm worried about is that we're dropping the ball on the economy and homeland security.’
      • ‘And so they have a responsibility, and they're dropping the ball from where I'm sitting.’
      • ‘The first is that the professors tasked with teaching the students the ins and outs of the business really dropped the ball.’
      • ‘The sense is that it's the federal government that has somehow dropped the ball.’
      • ‘No, but I think that there are times that we have certainly dropped the ball in the last few years.’
      • ‘In both cases, he and his administration dropped the ball and thousands died as a result.’
      • ‘I believe that this committee has completely dropped the ball.’
      • ‘From what we can see, the union dropped the ball and is now crying foul.’
    have had a drop too much
    informal

    • Be drunk.

      • ‘obstreperous squaddies who have had a drop too much’
      • ‘The wine was so good that one of my erstwhile diners had a drop too much and was sick at the table.’
      • ‘I must have had a drop too much.’
      • ‘When he was brought up for having had a drop too much, the Colonel remarked to him: ‘My good man, I only wish I could drink as much as you do and keep as good a nerve. Tell me how you manage it and I will let you off.’’
    have the drop on
    informal

    • Have the advantage over.

      • ‘if your enemy gets the drop on you he can kill you’
      • ‘It will stop some crimes and deter others, but the risk would still be very high, especially since the fare will often have the drop on the driver.’
      • ‘We have been the first in so many categories because we have always had the drop on style.’
      • ‘We can handle one gunman when we have the drop on him.’
      • ‘I think we've already established the fact that you don't want that to happen,’ a man's voice on the other end sounded as if they knew they had the drop on this man.’
      • ‘I had the drop on him; he couldn't get away.’
      • ‘They had the drop on me and if I'd resisted, they wouldn't have cared either way.’
      • ‘We were horribly outnumbered and they had the drop on us.’
      • ‘Luckily, blokes tend to be very shallow so I had the drop on them’
      • ‘They had the drop on us, so we complied and they cleaned the store out in about forty seconds or so.’
      • ‘The 7am flight was a bit of a pain, but it meant that we got to the office in Newcastle around 8: 30 and thus got the drop on a number of their staff.’

Phrasal Verbs

    drop back

    • Fall back or get left behind.

      ‘the colt was struggling to stay with the pace and started to drop back’
      • ‘At the end of the first lap the 2004 champion was in 20th place, 15.9 seconds behind the leader and dropping back as traffic slowed him.’
      • ‘A few others were behind us, but they were dropping behind farther with every step.’
      • ‘Button is dropping back from Alonso's Renault and is now 5.7 seconds behind the Spaniard.’
      • ‘He began to drag behind the main group, dropping back to where Lethalvos was immersed in thought.’
      • ‘I didn't get a very good start and I was stuck behind Ralf in turn one, so I dropped back to eighth.’
      • ‘The driver kept up with us for some way along the road before seeing sense and dropping behind so that I was able to stop our mad dash.’
      • ‘Earlier this season Metcalfe, who despite his recurring misfortune in the matter of untimely injuries has hung on to his pace pretty well, appeared to be dropping back in the queue at full-back.’
      • ‘Throughout our riverside run the club leaders made sure that beginners were never running alone, even when it meant slowing down to keep anyone from dropping back too far.’
      • ‘With Brindley dropping back, less than two seconds covered Webster, Steinhausen and Reeves, but the North Yorkshire ace upped the pace.’
      • ‘He led early in the race before dropping back to 15th.’
    drop by

    • Make a casual or informal visit to a person or place.

      ‘do drop in if you're passing’
      • ‘I dropped by her office this afternoon to pick up the tickets’
      • ‘we dropped in unannounced’
      • ‘he dropped in on her last week’
      • ‘If you follow this system of preparation and daily quick cleaning, you will always have a clean bathroom that is ready for when an unexpected visitor drops by.’
      • ‘Visitors drop by, and they leave this place with new ideas about what they can do themselves.’
      • ‘How do they like to communicate - by e-mail, voicemail or an informal chat when you drop by their office?’
      • ‘When Suzette drops by for an unannounced visit, Vinnie is horrified at the sudden appearance of a random element in her well-ordered life.’
      • ‘People can drop by and visit friends or relatives without letting them know ahead of time.’
      • ‘A visit to Bruges is incomplete without dropping in at the shops displaying the famous lace works or to the lace training centre.’
      • ‘He has made employment his priority, dropping in on a job-centre for his first official visit.’
      • ‘If you get the chance to visit Budapest, make sure you drop by one of the spas.’
      • ‘Do drop in and help raise funds and maybe pick up the perfect Christmas gift for a loved one.’
      • ‘A friend who drops in is given a free sample to try out and if he is happy with it, he will naturally come back to enquire more about the company.’
    drop into

    • 1drop into somewhereMake a casual or informal visit to a place.

      ‘he'd considered dropping into one of the bars’
      • ‘For further information, drop into the Youth Information Centre, Newtown, Castlebar.’
      • ‘Visitors are actually advised not to drop into the Eden Project if it is raining!’
      • ‘Further information can be had by calling 843525 or by dropping into the centre and talking to any of the leaders.’
      • ‘The public can drop into one of the offices of Kerry Citizens Information Service over the next week and find out about rights and entitlements.’
      • ‘Salford residents can drop into their local community centre or library for information.’
      • ‘All unemployed people are welcome to drop into the Monday Club for information all courses currently available.’
      • ‘If Cantlon and Henley wanted to converse with a wider range of people, they could easily drop into a saloon.’
      • ‘Q. If you were passing, you might on occasion drop into the Brownings as you would to any client, is that right?’
      • ‘A third royal visit in just over a week takes place on Tuesday when the Duke of Edinburgh drops into the borough to meet youth workers, teachers and young people who participate in the award scheme which bears his name.’

    • 2drop into somethingPass quickly and easily into a habitual state or manner.

      ‘she couldn't help dropping into a Geordie accent’
      • ‘In the beginning, when we entered the room for the first morning sit, we might sense the utter stillness of the place, before dropping into our habitual world of thoughts.’
      • ‘He drops back into his native Aussie in times of stress.’
      • ‘He questions Winters ceaselessly and Dick can't help dropping into officer mode to meet him blow for verbal blow.’
      • ‘For the most part, teenagers can't help dropping into the angsty moody mode periodically.’
    drop off

    • Fall asleep easily, especially without intending to.

      ‘struggle as she might, she kept dropping off’
      • ‘Help your baby feel safe and secure with plenty of loving attention throughout the day so she can drop off more easily.’
      • ‘I turned over, punched the pillow into a new comfort zone, and dropped off just about instantly.’
      • ‘Every time he dropped off for a snooze she'd set the doll to screech and stick it near his ear.’
      • ‘And every time someone drops off to sleep, the prize money falls.’
      • ‘By around 7: 30 she's normally getting a bit tired again, so we lie next to her and hug her until she drops off for a nap.’
      • ‘As well as trying to outdo each other, the contestants must also work as a team because the prize pot decreases every time one of them drops off.’
      • ‘But even dropping off for a moment can be time enough for someone to go through your bag to see if you are wealthier than you look.’
      • ‘Scott Cameron had spent the evening watching TV and had happily chatted to his sister Caroline before dropping off to sleep.’
      • ‘Punctuating his statement with a yawn, he leaned back, almost immediately dropping off to sleep.’
      • ‘Once I had the bed made, I quickly dropped off to sleep.’
    drop out

    • 1Stop participating or being involved in something.

      ‘she stepped into the spotlight after a fellow actress had to drop out due to ill health’
      • ‘He was so upset that he hatched a devious scheme to get the first five qualifiers to drop out of the race.’
      • ‘‘When you've been winning it really hurts to drop out of one competition, but there's other things for us to concentrate on,’ he said.’
      • ‘She thought about dropping out of the heptathlon with two events remaining because of a foot injury.’
      • ‘If that meant dropping out of a World Cup, that was what Calvin would have wanted.’
      • ‘They'd spent the afternoon cheering and dancing - but after seeing Radcliffe drop out of the race on the stadium big screen the party mood evaporated instantly.’
      • ‘She was forced to drop out of the race on the next lap because of a mechanical problem.’
      • ‘In recent months, however, his form has plummeted, dropping out of races in Gateshead and Crystal Palace.’
      • ‘Hamilton was deeply disappointed at the prospect of dropping out of the race after dedicating his year to the campaign.’
      • ‘She entered the presidential race in 1995 but dropped out a few days later.’
      • ‘But unfortunately for him, the fall forced him to drop out of the race.’

    • 2Abandon a course of study.

      ‘she had dropped out of college’
      • ‘By this time of course, I had dropped out of high school.’
      • ‘She dropped out of the course because she could not afford to pay the £16,000 annual fees.’
      • ‘I decided I was learning more about the design of the future in my day job so I dropped out of the course after a year.’
      • ‘But after six months he dropped out of the course.’
      • ‘Then David dropped out of his chemistry course and became assistant manager.’
      • ‘A dear friend of mine who dropped out of community college in her first semester makes more money than I do.’
      • ‘He dropped out of education and wound up sleeping rough for a few months.’
      • ‘I have a friend whose son dropped out of high school.’
      • ‘We found this guy who dropped out of school and had nothing to do.’
      • ‘Within the black community, dropping out of public school was considered downright treasonous.’

    • 3Reject conventional society to pursue an alternative lifestyle.

      ‘he was a child of the sixties who had temporarily dropped out’
      • ‘This is one of the book's best sections because of its quiet reflections on the possibility of actually dropping out of society and embracing a new way of living.’
      • ‘Apparently it's quite the thing to drop out of society for months and take to the rivers and byways.’
      • ‘Some however for whatever reason just decide to drop out of society and choose to live on the streets.’
      • ‘And I can't keep my kids away from the bad influences of junk food and junk toys without dropping out of society.’
      • ‘These people lament the coming of the backpacker age, harping back to the sixties and seventies when you had to drop out of society to get on the trail…’
      • ‘I applaud these crustaceans for their insistence that it's ok to drop out of useful society in order to protect a feeling of global harmony that I doubt has ever existed.’
      • ‘People actually do live like this - they don't pay their taxes, they don't have running water or electricity and they choose to sort of drop out of society.’
      • ‘I could just drop out of society forever, never speak to the rest of them again, and live out my days in total solitude.’
      • ‘That's why I've dropped out of society and joined a convent in El Salvador.’
      • ‘Many societies, she notes, encourage their youth to drop out for a period of self-discovery.’

    • 4Rugby
      Restart play with a drop kick.

      ‘Having withstood early pressure and a strong downfield wind, Newbridge used the ball well early on but two basic drop out re-start errors saw them fall behind.’
      • ‘It was, however, Keighley who finished the game on top, forcing play to the try line with a long drop out from the restart.’
      • ‘RI took the lead with a Mathew Yates penalty and when Tim Nash scored an opportunist try straight from a drop out RI looked good for their 10-0 advantage.’
      • ‘The Wasps made a mess of Batley's kick-off and from the drop out scrum-half Gary Barnett spotted a gap and beat Callaghan to score.’
      1. 4.1Score a drop goal.
        ‘A quick 22 drop out was followed by a quick tap penalty.’
        • ‘Stephan Minogue's attempted penalty from halfway narrowly missed and was touched down for a 22 drop out.’
        • ‘Armoy retained possession from the 22 drop out and their out-half spotted a gap in the Newry back line.’

Origin

Old English dropa (noun), droppian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to German Tropfen ‘a drop’, tropfen ‘to drip’, also to drip and droop.