▪ I.drop,n.|drɒp|Forms: 1 dropa, 2–7 drope, 4–7 droppe, 3– drop (5 droupe, 6– Sc.drap).[In I.repr.OE.dropawk.masc.=OS.dropo (MDu.droppe,Du.drop),OHG.troffo, tropfo (MHG.tropfe,Ger.tropfen),ON.dropi (Sw.droppe):—OTeut.*dropon- and *droppon-,f.u- grade of ablaut stem dreup-, draup-, drup-.The affinities of the drop, dreep, drip, dripe, droop family of words are here exhibited for reference from their respective places:I. The original strongvb.:OTeut.*dreup-, draup-, drup-; inON.drjúpa (Sw.drȳpa),OHG.triofan (Ger.triefen),OS.driopan,OE.dréopan,ME.drepe, dreep v.II. From au- grade: Causal *draupjan; inON.dreypa,OHG.troufen,OS.*drôpian,OE.*dríepan, drýpan,ME.dripe v.III. From ū- grade:ON.drúprn.; drúpavb.(:—*drūpē-,corresp.to a Gothic *drūpan, -aida),ME.droupen, droop v., also droop a.andn., droopen v.IV. From u- grade: i. *dropon-n.(pre-Teut. *dhrubón-), inON.dropi,OHG.troffo,OS.dropo,OE.dropa, dropn.Thence *dropōjan,OE.dropian, drop v. Also *drupjan, inOE.dryppan,ME.dryppe, drip v.2. -pp forms, originating in assimilation of pre-Teut. -bn to -bb,OTeut.-pp, inn.*dhrubō(n,gen.dhrubnós, assimilated dhrubbós, inOTeut.*dropó(n, dropp-; whence, by levelling, *droppo(n-: inOHG.tropfo,OE.*droppa,ME.droppe: see dropn.From this, *droppōjan,OHG.tropfôn,OE.droppian, drop v. Also *druppjan, inON.*dryppa,Da.dryppe: see drip v.]I.The originaln.* Primary sense.1. a.The smallest quantity of liquid that falls or detaches itself, or is produced, in a spherical or pear-shaped form; a globule of liquid.c825Vesp. Psalter xliv. 9[xlv. 8]Myrre & dropa.c1000Ags.Gosp.Luke xxii. 44And his swat wæs swylce blodes dropan[Lindisf. G. dropps, Hatton dropen]on eorðan yrnende.c1000Sax.Leechd.II. 34Læt ᵹedreopan on þa eaᵹan ænne dropan.a1225Ancr. R. 184Nout so muche ase a lutel deawes drope aȝean þe brode see.1297R.Glouc.(1724) 560An vewe dropes of reine þer velle.a1300Fragm.Pop.Sc.(Wright) 213If hit is cold up an heȝ the dropen falleth to snowe.1398TrevisaBarth. De P.R. xiii. xxiv. (1495) 456A droppe is callyd Stilla while it fallith, and gutta while it stondyth or hangyth.c1400Destr. Troy 3320Elan..driet the dropis of hir dregh teris.1563W. FulkeMeteors (1640) 49 b,Why raine falleth in round drops.1697DrydenVirg.Georg. iii. 750On his hanging Ears..Sweat in clammy Drops appears.1831BrewsterOptics xxxii. 265Drops of rain, which we know to be small spheres.1884Bower & ScottDe Bary's Phaner. 145The hypodermal layer of tissue containing drops of oil and resin.b.fig.Of things immaterial.1576FlemingPanopl.Epist.94To instill sweete droppes of consolation, into your heart wounded with anguish.15971stPt.Return fr.Parnass.i. i. 319I have bespringled them pritilie with the drops of my bountie.a1687Waller (J.),Admiring in the gloomy shade, Those little drops of light.1784CowperTask iii. 46To preserve thy sweets Unmix'd with drops of bitter.c.drop serene,transl.of L. gutta serena, an old name for the disease of the eye called amaurosis.1667MiltonP.L. iii. 25So thick a drop serene hath quencht thir Orbs.1822–34GoodStudyMed.(ed.4) III. 175The Gutta Serena of the Arabic writers, whence the term ‘Drop Serene’ of our own tongue.d.Advb.phr.drop by drop[byprep.25 c]: in successive drops; slowly and gradually. Also attrib.or as n., and fig.1596Shakes.1Hen.IV, i. iii. 134And shed my deere blood drop by drop i'th dust.1598―Merry W. iv. v. 100They would melt mee out of my fat drop by drop.1850TennysonInMem.lvii. 83As drop by drop the water falls.1878BrowningLa Saisiaz 51Life's loss drop by drop distilled.1922D. H. LawrenceFantasia of Unconscious xi. 198The agonies and ecstasies of fear and doubt and drop-by-drop fulfillment.1948L. MacNeiceHoles in Sky 20The drop-by-drop Of games like darts or chess.1959Times 16 Sept. 11/6The steady drop-by-drop expenditure on small items.2.ellipt.or absolutely:=tear-drop; also drop of sweat, blood, dew, rain, according to context.c1000Azariah 64 in ExeterBk.,Þonne on sumeres tid sended weorþeð dropena dreorung mid dæᵹes hwile.c1400Destr. Troy 7997Achilles..warmyt in yre..That the droupes, as a dew, dankit his fas.Ibid.9216He dride vp his dropes for dymyng his ene.1593Shakes.Lucr. 1228The maid with swelling drops gan wet Her circled eyne.1607―Cor.v. i. 10I vrg'd our old acquaintance, and the drops That we haue bled together.1620QuarlesDiv.Poems, Jonah (1638) 6Tradesmen arise, and plie your thriving shops With truer hands, and eate your meat with drops.a1657LovelacePoems (1864) 157One drop, let fall From her, might save the universal ball.1719De FoeCrusoe i. xviii,They would be faithful to him to the last drop.1887BowenVirg.æneid iii. 175Cold drops over me streaming, I leapt forthwith from my bed.3.spec.In dispensing and administering medicines, etc., the smallest separable quantity of a liquid.1772T. PercivalEss.Med.&Exper.(1777) I. 97Forty drops of the acid of vitriol.1811A. T. ThomsonLond.Disp. (1818) p. lxxxii,The London College have introduced the last measure[minim]as a substitute for the drop, the inaccuracy of which had been long experienced; as the fluidity and specific gravity of the liquid, the thickness of the lip of the phial, and even its degree of inclination, were all liable to vary its size.1822–34GoodStudyMed.(ed.4) I. 344Twenty drops of turpentine, with four black drops, were given every four hours.4.pl.A medicinal preparation to be taken or administered in drops. Rarely sing.1726Adv.Capt.R. Boyle 47Adding some of the chymical Drops into any liquid she shall drink.1727–51ChambersCycl., Guttæ Anglicanæ,English drops, volatile English drops, or Goddard's drops, a name of a medicinal liquor.1728SwiftJrnl.Mod.Lady 205Here, Betty, let me take my drops.1810CrabbeBorough vii.Wks.1834 III. 133Tincture or syrup, lotion, drop or pill.** The amount of a drop, a very small quantity.5. a.Such a quantity as would fall in, or form, a single drop; the smallest appreciable quantity.c1290S.Eng.Leg.I. 100/290Nouȝt o drope of blode.a1300Cursor M. 16814 + 39Þen miȝt þei..More blode fynd none, But þat sely drope þat was In his hert.c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 124Þei comaunden to drynke a drope of water.1581G. Pettietr.Guazzo's Civ.Conv.ii. (1586) 104 b,Writers: who, with one drop or two of inke, may prolong our life.1700S. L.tr.Fryke'sVoy.E.Ind.9A man may as well steal all one's money, as a drop of Water from any one.1786BurnsSc.Drink vii,His wee drap parritch.1798ColeridgeAnc.Mar. ii. ix,Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.1816KeatingeTrav.(1817) I. 163Suspected of a drop of Moorish blood in their composition.b.a drop in the (a) bucket or the ocean: a quantity bearing an infinitesimally small proportion to the whole.1382WyclifIsa.xl. 15Lo! Jentiles as a drope of a boket, and as moment of a balaunce ben holden.1611ibid.,The nations are as a drop of a bucket.1693W. FrekeSel.Ess.xxxiii. 206The Invisible, Infinite and Eternal Maker of all things..to whom the Whole Globe is but as a drop of the Bucket.1844DickensChristmas Carol i,The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the..ocean of my business.1853Mrs. GaskellCranford xiv. 221That little would be but as a drop in the sea of the debts of the Town and County Bank.1921H. CraneLet.17 Oct. (1965) 67Sara Teasdale, Marguerite Wilkinson, Lady Speyer, etc., to mention a few drops in the bucket of feminine lushness.1962D. MayoIsland of Sin viii. 62Five thousand dollars, he asked for—a mere drop in the bucket, no doubt, considering the offhand manner in which the request was made.1968Listener 23 May 658/3It's very important to me that Jennie Lee does care a lot about the provinces. But what she has given is only a drop in the ocean.6.spec.A small quantity of drink or intoxicating liquor. to have a drop in one's eye: to show signs of having had a glass. to take one's drops: to drink hard, to tipple.a1700B. E.Dict.Cant. Crew,Drop-in-his-eye, almost drunk.1738SwiftPol.Conv.i.Wks.1778 X. 159You must own you had a drop in your eye; When I left you, you were half seas over.1775Sir M. HunterJrnl.(1894) 21The captain's servant..liked a drop as well as his master.c1793Spirit Pub.Jrnls.(1799) I. 10If I like any drop—but a drop in my eye.1828CravenDial.,Drops, ‘to take one's drops,’ to drink hard, applied to one who drinks spirits.1886StevensonPr.Otto i. iv,I have had a drop, but I had not been drinking.1888J. PaynMyst.Mirbridge (Tauchn.) II. xi. 119,I went to the Chequers and had a drop too much.7.transf.and fig.A minute quantity, portion, or particle of anything immaterial.c1398ChaucerFortune 58I the lente a drope of my rychesse.1413Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xx. 66Is there in the no drope of kyndenesse.1596Shakes.Merch.V. ii. ii. 195Take paine To allay with some cold drops of modestie Thy skipping spirit.1607T. WalkingtonOpt.Glass xii. (1664) 131Having a drop of Words, and a floud of Cogitations.1813ByronGiaour 263Gather in that drop of time A life of pain, an age of crime.8.An obsolete Scotch weight,=¹/₁₆ of an ounce.In the Scottish Troy or Dutch weight=29·722 troy grains; in Scottish Tron weight=37·588 troy grains (the pound of 16 oz. being in the former=7609 gr., in the latter 9622·6 gr.).1640–1Kirkcudbr. War-Comm.Min.Bk.(1855) 35,xj spoones, Scots worke, weghtan xiij unce iij dropes.1673Acc.Bk.Sir J. Foulis (1894) 14A quech weighting 18 unce and 10 drop.1805ForsythBeautiesScotl.I. 78Archers consider an arrow of from 20 to 24 drop weight to be the best for flight.*** Something like a drop in appearance.†9.A spot of colour (like the mark or stain of a drop); also fig., spot, stain. Obs.c1420Pallad. onHusb.vi. 236O Sone of God allone, O Sapience, O Hope, of synys drope or fraude immuyn.1548HallChron.,Hen.VIII, 80The other all blacke, dropped wtsilver droppes.1607TopsellFour-f. Beasts (1658) 91Their belly is parted with black strakes and drops.1674N. CoxGentl. Recreat. ii. (1677) 213The points and extremities of their Feathers full of white drops.10.Applied to various objects resembling a drop of liquid in size, shape, or pendent character.a.A pendant of metal or precious stone, as an ear-drop; a glass pendant of a chandelier, etc.1502Priv. Purse Exp.Eliz.of York (1830) 21Spangelles settes..sterrys dropes and pointes..for garnisshing of jakettes.1682Lond.Gaz.No.1750/4A pair of Diamond Pendants, with Roses, and Knots and Drops.1725De FoeVoy.round World (1840) 140A pair of ·ear-rings..with a fine drop.1861Macm.Mag.Jan. 186 (Hoppe)Cut drops of a glass chandelier.1885Scribner'sMag.XXX. 728/1A large silver urn bedecked with the drop-and-garland of Queen Anne's time.b.Arch.(pl.) The frusta of cones used under the triglyphs in the architrave of the Doric Order below the tænia; also in the under part of the mutuli or modillions. (L. guttæ.) (Gwilt.)1696Phillips (ed.5),Dropp..an Ornament in the Pillars of the Doric Order, underneath the Triglyphs; representing Dropps or little Bells.c.Naut.Seequot.c1850Rudim.Navig.(Weale) 116Drops are..small foliages of carved-work in the stern-munnions.†d.Small shot.Cf.also drop-shot in 23. Obs.1752Maccoll inScotsMag.Aug. (1753) 397/2The..gun..was charged with powder and small drops.1825–80Jamiesons.v.Draps, Lead draps, small shot of every description.e.A lozenge or sugar-plum, originally of spherical form, but now of various shapes. Freq. with defining word prefixed, as acid drop, cough-drop, peppermint-drop(seethe first elements). Also a cake shaped like a drop or made by dropping a mixture on to paper, etc. (cf.drop-cake, -scone).1723J. NottCook's & Confectioner'sDict.§91To make Bisket Drops.1728E. SmithCompleat Housewife (ed.2) 178To make Rose Drops.1818KeatsLet.24 Mar. (1958) I. 256Very fond of peppermint drops.1819Ibid.12 Apr. (1958) II. 52As fine as barley sugar drops are to a schoolboy's tongue.1836–9DickensSk.Boz, Astleys,Ma, in the openness of her heart, offered the governess an acidulated drop.1851Offic.Catal.Gt.Exhib.I. 202Fancy chocolate in drops.f.Name of a variety of plum, gooseberry, etc.1883G. Allen inColin Clout'sCal.197Orleans plums, and golden drops, which differ..in their fruit.g.Applied to flowers with pendent blossoms, as the fuchsia (dial.), and in comb., as snowdrop.1664EvelynKal.Hort.(1729) 226December..Flowers in Prime..Snow-flowers or Drops, Yucca, etc.1892Northumbld.Gloss.,Drops, the common name for fuchsia.h.(Prince) Rupert's Drops: seequots.1662Merretttr.Neri's Art of Glass 353An Account of the Glass drops. These Drops were first brought into England by His Highness Prince Rupert out of Germany.1753ChambersCycl.Supp.,Rupert's Drops, a sort of glass drops with long and slender tails, which burst to pieces, on the breaking off those tails in any parts.1833N. ArnottPhysics (ed.5) II. i. 24A toy called a Prince Rupert's Drop (a pear-shaped lump of glass with a slender stalk).†11.A disease: inquot.1559 (andprob.in c 1000) gout. (=med.L. gutta, F. goutte.) Obs.c1000Sax.Leechd.I. 236Heo ælc yfel blod and þæne dropan ᵹewyldeþ.Ibid.376Wið fot adle, and wið ðone dropan nim datulus.1559MorwyngEvonym. 241This..cureth all scabbednes and the drop.Ibid.,Sod with bran and drunnken it driveth away all droppes.II.Secondaryn.,f.drop v.* The action.12. a.The action or an act of dropping, in various senses,e.g.the fall of a minute particle of liquid; an abrupt and clear fall or vertical descent in space; a decided descent professionally or socially: see thevb.†to give one the drop: to give one the slip (obs.).1637B. JonsonSadSheph.i. ii,My slow drop of tears.1708S. CentlivreBusie Body iii. v,I'll give him the drop, and away to Guardian's, and find it out.1832W. IrvingAlhambra I. 288The..fountain with its eternal drop-drop and splash-splash.1851MayhewLond.Labour (1861) III. 99 (Hoppe),I..began pitching in the street. I didn't much like it, after being a regular performer, and looked upon it as a drop.1855BrowningBy Fireside xi,The drop of the woodland fruit's begun These early November hours.1884Pall Mall G. 28 Aug. 5/1The force of gravity, which has far greater influence than any other in determining the course of the bullet, and is called ‘the drop’ of the bullet.b.slang.Cf.drop-cove, drop-game in 23.1812J. H. VauxFlashDict.s.v.,The game of ring-dropping is called the drop.1823in Grose.c.With adverbs, as drop in, out: see drop-inn.anda., drop-out.d.=drop-kick.1845[see puntn.³ 1].1864[see touchn.12].1897[see centren.11 d].1960E. S. & W. J. HighamHigh Speed Rugby ii. 31The method for practising the drop should be the same as described above for the punt.e.A drop-stroke(seedrop-); see alsoquot.1900.1900G. E. A. Ross in A. E. T. WatsonYoung Sportsman 609The second contact of the ball with the floor[in tennis], called the fall..as distinguished from its first bound or contact, called the drop of the ball.1909Cent.Dict.Suppl.,Drop, in tennis, a ball so struck by the racket as to shoot sharply downward after crossing the net.1933Times 18 Nov. 5/7Time and again his forehand drop went too low.1960Times 3 Dec. 3/4He was pushing at attempted forehand drops.f.In a card-game,esp.Bridge, a situation in which a particular card is dropped(seedrop v. 3 d).1936CulbertsonContract Bridge Complete xxxix. 441Even when the odds favour a play for a drop, tactical considerations may make a finesse necessary.1959Listener 7 May 808/2If East wins with the King the declarer must still decide whether to play the finesse or the drop on the second round.1969D. HaydenWinning Declarer Play (1970) i. i. 12In the absence of any other information it is fractionally better to play for the drop.g.Aeronaut.(a) The act of dropping men, supplies, etc., from an aircraft;cf.air-drop (airn.¹ B. III. 2). (b) The landing of an aircraft or the like.1943Time 29 Nov. 10/1AU.S.Supply Plane Makes a ‘Drop’ in the Chin Hills.1954X. FieldingHide & Seek 72A parachute drop in an island as mountainous as Crete was always an arduous and dangerous business.1956‘J. Wyndham’Seeds of Time 46The ship had..made her successful last drop to Mars.1971R.A.F. Quarterly Spring 3Nearly every mission was flown and nearly every drop was successful.13.fig.A sheer fall or descent in anything measured by a scale;e.g.in prices, values, atmospheric pressure, temperature, etc.1847–78Halliwell,Drop, a reduction of wages.1883Daily News 12 July 3/5A portion of the hands..have abided by the agreement and gone in again at the drop.1884Manch.Exam.29 Oct. 4/4Owing to the drop in exchanges and higher rates of discount.Mod.There has been a great drop in the temperature since yesterday morning.14. a.to get (have) the drop on, colloq.(orig.U.S.): to get (have) a person at a disadvantage;orig.to have the chance to shoot before the antagonist can use his weapon. Hence the drop=the advantage.1869A. K. McClureRockyMts.xxiv. 233So expert is he with his faithful pistol, that the most scientific of rogues have repeatedly attempted in vain to get ‘the drop’ on him.1875J. MillerFirst Fam'lies vii. 55It was strange that Sandy did not pull.., at all events he had the ‘drop’, and could afford to wait..and see what he[sc. the Parson]would do.1883Harper'sMag.Jan. 208/1The men..were always waiting to ‘get the drop’ on somebody.1884U.S.Newspaper,The Sheriff and his deputies..having the drop on the outlaw he surrendered quietly.1893McCarthyRed Diamonds II. 27It was my own fault for letting them get the chance to have the drop on me.1915A. Conan DoyleValley of Fear i. vii. 140He'd have had the drop on me with that buckshot gun of his before ever I could draw on him.1917J. FergusonStealthy Terror xiii. 288He had got ‘the drop’ on us, and he knew it.1918C. E. MulfordMan from Bar-20 149Th' man with the drop can find a lot to say, if he's a tin-horn.1940‘N. Blake’Malice in Wonderland i. viii. 107He suspects Miss Thistlethwaite..of having got the drop on him.1959J. ChristopherScent of White Poppies ix. 147Two of us can handle it... We shall have the drop on them.1970New Yorker 23 May 27/2F.B.I. agents had been trying to ‘crawl up through the belly of the plane either to get the drop on him[sc. a hijacker]or to get a shot at him’.b.at the drop of a (occas.the) hat: promptly, immediately.orig.U.S.colloq.1854J. B. JonesLife of Country Merchant xv. 175You said you'd marry me at the drop of a hat!1887M. RobertsWestern Avernus 43Ready to quarrel ‘at the drop of a hat’, as the American saying goes.1901AdeForty Modern Fables 49Every Single Man in Town was ready to Marry her at the Drop of the Hat.1944M. SharpCluny Brown iv. 30Miss Cream's visit coincided with a week of superb weather. At the drop of a hat she stripped and sunbathed—or rather, a hat was the only thing she didn't drop.1958M. DickensMan Overboard xi. 165The invaluable ability to write an article about almost anything under the sun at the drop of a hat.15.The act of dropping or giving birth to young; the produce so dropped.1891Australasian 320/4The bulk[of the lambs]consisted of this season's drop.** That which drops or is used for dropping.16.In a theatre: The painted curtain let down between the acts of a play to shut off the stage from the view of the audience; also called act drop, and (less technically) drop-curtain. Also, a piece of scenery,usu.a large flat (flatn.³ 11), lowered on to the stage from the flies.1779SheridanCritic ii. ii,The carpenters say, that unless there is some business put in here before the drop, they shan't have time to clear away the fort.1807[see flatn.³ 11].1859SalaGaslight & D. ii. 21Long cylinders, or rollers, used for ‘drops’.1896C. Wyndham inDaily News 2 May 8/2The curtain which will fall to-night upon the drama..will not be a final curtain, but only an act drop serving to divide one section of a career, one stage of friendship from the next.1913, etc.[see back-drops.v.back- B].1951R. Southern inOxf.Compan.Theatre 200/2Drop, an unframed piece of scenery, first used about 1690, usually a canvas backcloth. It had the advantage of offering an unbroken plain surface for painting, free from any central join such as marked the alternative ‘pair of flats’.17. a.A small platform or trap-door on the gallows, on which the condemned stands with the halter round his neck, and which is let fall from under his feet. By extension, the gallows; the act of hanging.1796GroseDict.Vulg.T.s.v.,The new drop; a contrivance for executing felons at Newgate.1810BenthamPacking (1821) 121The New Drop.1813Examiner 18 Jan. 43/2The drop fell. They were executed in their irons.1843Sir P. Laurie inCroker Papers (1884) III. xxiii. 15The first attempt at something like a drop in hanging criminals was at the execution of Lord Ferrers at Tyburn in 1760, but..it was not adopted as the general mode of execution till 1783, when ten felons were executed on the 9th of December..for the first time in front of Newgate, on a new drop or scaffold hung with black.1846Swell's Night Guide 118/1Drop, the squeezer at Newgate.1887Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) 1 May 20/5The condemned walked firmly to the drop.1924E. WallaceRoom 13 v. 56,I have a particular objection to Peter going to the drop.1958F. NormanBang to Rights 39It comes to the morning when he is going to get the drop.b.=fencen.8 a. Thieves' slang.1915Times 19 Mar. 5/5The Magistrate.—I thought that they called these men ‘fences’. Mr. Pearce.—Perhaps the fashion has changed. One usually associates a ‘drop’ with a more serious offence.1937C. R. CooperHere's to Crime vi. 133All shops, whether or not they be fences or ‘drops’ for numerous thieves, can escape detection.1962K. OrvisDamned & Destroyed xix. 139You say you buy expensive jewels. You say you pay better prices than ordinary drops do.c.A hiding-place for stolen, smuggled, or illicit goods(seequots.). slang.1931in PartridgeDict.Underworld (1950) 207/2Drop, a hiding place for liquor; a depot where smuggled liquors are deposited to be picked up by other members of the gang or by customers.1933H. J. LeeEagle Police Manual 147Drop joints, places selected for temporarily depositing stolen goods.1934H. N. RoseThes.Slang iii. 20/1Hiding place for liquor in a car,..a drop; trap.1937C. R. CooperHere's to Crime xv. 332In the transfer from dock to dock, bribed truck drivers run the shipment into a ‘drop’, extract the narcotics, and put real merchandise in their place.1947Amer.Mercury Apr. 430/1The immediate problem after a trucking theft is to unload the merchandise and abandon the empty truck. For this purpose the gang must have a ‘drop’ where the loot can be stored until the fence can arrange for its sale and distribution.1962K. OrvisDamned & Destroyed xxii. 164Employing an expensive West End brothel..as a heroin drop.d.A place,usu.secret, where letters, information, etc., may be passed on to, or left to be collected by, another person, as in espionage. slang.1959R. CondonManchurian Candidate (1960) xix. 232An hour after Chunjin had made his report to the Soviet security drop from the red telephone booth..a meeting was called.1960‘E. S. Aarons’Assignment Mara Tirana (1966) iii. 28An informer came to our drop in Vienna, from over in Bratislava.1965I. FlemingMan with Golden Gun ix. 124They had arranged an emergency meeting place and a postal ‘drop’.18. a.Variously applied to things which drop or fall from a height, and to mechanical contrivances arranged to descend, or fall from an elevated position: seequots.b.A movable plate covering the key-hole of a lock.c.The slit or aperture of a letter-box (U.S.).a1825ForbyVoc.E. Anglia,Draps, fruit in an orchard dropping before it is fit to be gathered.1858SimmondsDict.Trade,Drop, a machine for lowering coals from railway staiths into the holds of colliers.1864Webster,Drop..a contrivance for temporarily lowering a gas-jet.1864[see drop-presss.v.drop-].1874KnightDict.Mech.,Drop, a swaging-hammer which drops between guides.1879Postal Laws &Reg.ofU.S.427Drop, the opening in a post-office or mail apartment of a car for the mailing of letters..by the public.1880W. CornwallGloss.,Drops, window-blinds. ‘I knew he was dead—the drops were down’.d.Money,esp.when given as alms or a bribe; also, the act of giving it. slang.1931C. MassieConfessions of Vagabond vii. 79A good ten minutes before the ‘drop’ you are forced to listen to a tale of woe.1933‘G. Orwell’Down & Out xxx. 220A half-penny's the usual drop (gift).1939H. HodgeCab, Sir? 222To ‘take the drop’ is to accept a bribe.*** The space, place, or part, in which there is a fall or vertical descent.19.The distance through which anything drops or is allowed to fall;e.g.the distance through which a criminal drops when hanged.1879DailyTel.6 Sept.,I would recommend the drop to be no more than 2½ feet with ordinary sized men.1884A. GriffithsChron.Newgate vi. 174Sometimes the rope slipped, or the drop was insufficient.1892Lit.World 3 June 534/3As to the length of the drop there has been prolonged controversy.20.The depth to which anything sinks or is sunk below the general level.1794Rigging & Seamanship I. 87Drop of a sail, a term sometimes used to courses and topsails instead of depth.c1850Rudim.Navig.(Weale) 116Drop, the fall or declivity of a deck, which is generally several inches.1864Webster,Drop..the distance of a shaft below the base of a hanger.1884F. J. BrittenWatch & Clockm. 143This difference between the theoretical and actual width of the pallet is called the drop.1889CenturyDict.,Drop of stock, in firearms, the bend or crook of the stock below the line of the barrel.21. a.An abrupt descent or fall in the level of a surface.1821ClareVill. Minstr. I. 62The traveller from the mountain-top Looks down..And meditates beneath the steepy drop What life and lands exist, and rivers flow.1891C. T. C. JamesRom.Rigmarole 166Another fence loomed ahead..the water meadow beyond it was at a considerably lower level. ‘Look out!’ cried Georgy. ‘It's a biggish drop!’b.Fortification: seequot.1874KnightDict.Mech.,Drop, that part of a ditch sunk deeper than the rest, at the sides of a caponniere or in front of an embrasure.22.An arrangement in a genealogical table, whereby names belonging to a particular horizontal line, where there is no room for them, are carried lower down. Also drop-line: see drop-.1888Athenæum 14 Jan. 49/3The excessive use of ‘drops’ may have been necessary; we can, however, but regret the adoption of so distracting a system.III. 23.attrib.and Comb.(See also drop- thevb.-stem.)a.Of, pertaining to, or consisting of a drop or drops, as drop-earring, drop-fall, drop-falling, drop-ornament, drop-pearl; drop-shot (sense 10 d); drop-bottle (cf.sense 10 e).b.Special comb.: drop-black, a superior quality of bone-black ground in water, formed into drops, and dried; drop-cove(seequot.); drop-dry a., watertight; drop-game(seequot.1891); drop-meter, an instrument for measuring out liquid drop by drop; drop-sulphur, drop-tin,i.e.that granulated by being dropped in a molten state into cold water; drop test, either of two tests of the strength of an object: (a) one in which the object is dropped in certain specified conditions; (b) one in which a specified weight is dropped on the object from a specified height; so drop-testing vbl.n.1879Cassell'sTechn.Educ.IV. 222/1*Drop-black and Indian red.1891Anthony'sPhotogr.Bull.IV. 41,I use drop black, as it is already mixed with water, and it is very hard to make the common lamp black mix, owing to its greasiness.1877W. ThomsonVoy.Challenger I. i. 16‘*Drop-bottles’ manufactured for holding sweetmeats of various kinds.1812J. H. VauxFlashDict.,*Drop-cove, a sharp who practises the game of ring-dropping.1844CobdenSpeeches (1878) 84The thinly thatched roofs are seldom *drop-dry.1778Learning at a Loss I. 17Nobody can appear with a Button bigger than a *Drop Ear-ring.1801M. EdgeworthContrast (1832) 180She wore the drop-earrings.1382WyclifPs.lxiv. 11[lxv. 10]In his *drope fallingus shal glade the buriounende.1785GroseDict.Vulg.Tongue,*Drop-game.1891FarmerSlang,Drop-game, a variety of the confidence trick:—The thief..pretends to pick up (say) a pocket book (snide), which he induces the greenhorn to buy for cash.1857J. G. WilkinsonEgyptians 87*Drop ornaments in necklaces.1707Lond.Gaz.No.4383/4Lost..two *Drop-Pearls, Weight 15 Carrets.1698Ibid.No.3362/4*Drop shot of all sizes.1858Advt.in Greener Gunnery 14With the largest drop shot, and also with mould shot.1851Offic.Catal.Gt.Exhib.I. 122Crude *drop Sulphur.1890W. M. WilliamsChem.Iron & Steel Making xiii. 236Prominent among the useful tests is the *drop-test, as applied to steel rails.1947Shell Aviation NewsNo.109, 13/1Drop test rigs for undercarriages are in course of construction.1960Farmer & Stockbreeder 22 Mar. 131/2For the hydraulics system alone Nuffield subjected Tractor Oils Universal to exacting bench and ‘drop’ tests.1903C. E. WolffMod.Loco.Pract.xiii. 212One wheel out of every 20 or 24 shall be tested to destruction in a *drop testing machine.1962Aeroplane CIII.No.2637, 4/3A technique known as ‘airborne’ drop-testing has been adopted in this rig.▪ II.drop,v.|drɒp|Pa.tense andpple.dropped, dropt. Forms: 1 droppian, 2–7 droppe, 4 droupe, 4–5 drope, 5 drappe (7 pa.pple.droppen), 6– Sc.drap, 3– drop.[OE.dropian, droppian,=MDu.droppen,OHG.troffôn, tropfôn (Ger.tropfen): see note to dropn.]I.Intransitive senses.1.Of a liquid: To fall in drops or globules; to exude or distil in drops.c1000Ags.Ps.(Th.) xliv. 10Myrre, and gutta, and cassia dropiað of þinum claðum.Ibid.(Spelm.) lxxi. 6Swa swa dropan dropende[Lamb. Ps. droppende]ofer eorþan.13..Seuyn Sag. (W.) 3884He..held it vp, For water sold noght tharon drop.1382WyclifPs.lxvii[i]. 9Heuenus droppeden[Vulg. distillaverunt]doun fro the face of God of Synay.c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) x. 38Apon þe roche dropped blode of þe woundes.1579SpenserSheph.Cal.Nov. 31The kindly deaw drops from the higher tree.1592Shakes.Ven. & Ad. 958The crystal tide that from her two cheeks..dropt.1596Dalrympletr.Leslie'sHist.Scot.(1888) I. 47A certane coue, quhairin water continualie drapping..turnes in a verie quhyte stane.1659D. PellImpr.Sea 265It will distill and drop out of the cicatrized place into the vessel.Mod.The rain drops incessantly from the eaves. Sweat dropped from his brow.2. a.Of a person or thing: To give off moisture or liquid which falls in drops;=drip v. 2.a1300Cursor M. 3572Þe nese it droppes[Fairf. droupes]ai bi-tuine.1382WyclifJob xvi. 21My woordi frendis, myn eȝe droppith[Vulg. stillat]to God.1490CaxtonEneydos xxviii. 107The swerde dropped yet of bloode.1553BeconReliques of Rome (1563) 226If the chalice drop vpon the altare, let the droppe be supte vp.1697W. DampierVoy.I. xviii. 499We, who were dropping with wet.1825MacaulayEss., Milton (1887) 14The rabble of Comus, grotesque monsters, half bestial, half human, dropping with wine.b.Falconry. (Seequots.)1615LathamFalconry (1633)Vocab.,Dropping, is when a Hawke muteth directly downeward, in seuerall drops.1674N. CoxGentl. Recreat. ii. (1677) 167Sliming, is when a Hawk muteth without dropping.3. a.To fall vertically, like a single drop, under the simple influence of gravity; to descend.1377Langl.P. Pl. B. xvi. 79Euere as þei[apples]dropped adown, Þe deuel was redy, And gadred hem alle togideres.1610Shakes.Temp.ii. ii. 140Ha'st thou not dropt from heauen?1700S. L.tr.Fryke'sVoy.E.Ind.14One of the Master's Boys..dropt into the Sea.1756–7tr.Keysler'sTrav.(1760) III. 140Birds flying over it dropt down dead.1890Lloyd's Weekly 30 Nov. 6/2You could have heard a pin drop.Mod.The sword dropped out of his hand.b.fig.1654Jer.Taylor RealPres.62That we may not think this doctrine dropt from S. Austin by chance, he again affirmes[etc.].1676HobbesIliad i. 237His words like Honey dropped from his tongue.1871RobyLat.Gram.i. viii. 49This ablatival d has dropped off also from the adverbs supra, infra, &c.Mod.The second t has now dropped out.c.To have an abrupt descent in position.1769FalconerDict.Marine (1789)s.v.,Her maintopsail drops seventeen yards.1883StevensonSilverado Sq. 74In front the ground drops as sharply as it rises behind.d.Of a card (in Bridge, etc.): to be played in the same trick as a higher card,esp.because of the need to follow suit. Also trans., to play (a card) thus; to cause (a card) to be so played.1933CulbertsonContract Bridge BlueBk.(ed.2) i. iv. 60Declarer's chances of dropping the outstanding Queen and Knave on the Ace and King leads are proportionately increased.1936―Contract Bridge Complete xxxix. 441The ten of spades is led. East covers with the Queen, South wins with the Ace, and West drops the seven.Ibid.444The Queen will not drop, for East has followed to three rounds of each suit.1958Listener 23 Oct. 669/2For me, the Queen of trumps never drops in a grand slam.1960T. ReesePlay Bridge 115All follow to the Ace and King of hearts but the Queen does not drop.1969D. HaydenWinning Declarer Play (1970) i. i. 12Do you finesse, or do you play the ace hoping the king will drop?Ibid.ii. x. 183The chances of dropping a singleton queen are ¹/₆ of 15 percent, or about 2½ percent.4. a.To sink to the ground like inanimate matter; to fall exhausted, wounded, or dead.a1400Octouian 567Neygh to dede we gan drappe.1597Shakes.2Hen.IV, i. i. 169It was your presurmize, That in the dole of blowes, your Son might drop.1635J. Haywardtr.Biondi's Banish'dVirg.226[They]were ready to drop downe for griefe.1700S. L.tr.Fryke'sVoy.E.Ind.76Tho' thousands of their Men dropt, they would not give ground an Inch.1841J. Forbes11 Y. in Ceylon I. 141,I fired; the elephant dropped on his knees.1856C. J. AnderssonLake Ngami 371A..giraffe..dropped dead to the first shot.b.Of a setter, etc.: To squat down or crouch abruptly at the sight of game. Also trans., to cause or order (a dog) to drop.1840New MonthlyMag.LX. 176Few French pointers and setters are taught to back or drop.1870D. P. BlaineEncycl.Rur. Sports §2545After standing some considerable time, she[a pointer]would drop like a setter, still keeping her nose in an exact line, and would continue in that position until the game moved.1892Field 7 May 695/3Druid had birds before him and Blanch a rabbit; the one dropped to wing and the other to fur.1951C. R. ActonDog Annual 55Always ‘drop’ the puppy before ordering him to retrieve.c.drop dead: a slang (orig.U.S.) exclamation expressing emphatic dislike or scorn of the person addressed. (Cf.quot.1856 for sense 4 a.)1934J. O'HaraAppointment in Samarra vi. 181‘Let's put snow on his face.’ ‘Oh, drop dead,’ said Whit.1953W. R. BurnettVanity Row v. 40‘It's a pleasure I'm sure,’ saidRoy.‘For who?’ said the girl. ‘Drop dead.’1957J. OsborneLook Back in Anger iii. i. 78Why don't you drop dead!1959‘O. Mills’Stairway to Murder xxvi. 256‘Drop dead,’ he instructed two equally bruised and breathless corporals.1959I. & P. OpieLore &Lang.Schoolch. iii. 46The well-worn sentiments..‘Do me a favour—drop dead.’1969J. WeidmanCentre of Action (1970) xxiii. 238‘I mean,’ I said, ‘I don't really know what to say.’ Drop dead seemed singularly inappropriate.5. a.Of a person or thing: To fall or pass involuntarily or mechanically into some condition.1654WhitlockZootomia 411Many other Townes..silently drop into Dung Hills, without the least mention in History.1710PrideauxOrig.Tithes v. 278They had drop'd into absolute oblivion.1833H. MartineauManch.Strike vi. 66For fear you should drop asleep again.1877A. B. EdwardsUp Nile xxii. 706We soon dropped back into the old life of sight-seeing and shopping.b.fig.To die. See also drop off, 28 d.1654WhitlockZootomia 410A small Cottage, that hath, as it were, lived and dyed with her old Master, both dropping down together.1722DigbyLet.to Pope 1 Sept.,Nothing, says Seneca..so soon reconciles us to the thought of our own death, as the..prospect of one friend after another dropping round us.1848ThackerayVan. Fair xi,I lay five to two, Mathilda drops in a year.1889AnsteyPariah v. i,I shall have the old place some day, when the old governor drops.6.To come to an end through not being kept up; to cease, lapse; to fall through.1697T. Smith inLett.Lit.Men (Camden) 257We must..let our correspondence drop for the present.1705HearneCollect.31 July,The matter was let drop.1855MacaulayHist.Eng.III. 498The Bill of Rights..in the last Session, had..been suffered to drop.1896N. & Q. 8thSer.IX. 161/2The search after him was not allowed to drop.7.To fall in direction, condition, amount, degree, force, or pitch; to sink, become depressed.1729SwiftLibel on Delany 15His visage drops, he knits his brow.1798ColeridgeAnc.Mar. ii. vi,Down dropt the breeze.1866RogersAgric.& Prices I. xiii. 191The prices slightly dropping afterwards.1881Besant & RiceChapl. of Fleet i. v,His voice had dropped to the lower notes.8. a.To allow oneself to be carried quietly down stream; to descend without effort, with the tide or a light wind.1772–84CookVoy.(1790) II. 378The Resolution..dropped down the river as far as Woolwich, at which place she was detained by contrary winds.1798ColeridgeAnc.Mar. i. vi,Merrily did we drop Below the Kirk, below the Hill, Below the light-house top.1840R. H. DanaBef. Mast xvii. 47We made sail, dropping slowly down with the tide and light wind.1894Hall CaineManxman 425At the turn of the tide the boats began to drop down the harbour.b.To let oneself fall behind or to the rear by making no effort to keep ahead or to the front.1823CrabbTechnol.Dict.,Drop astern,[used]to denote the retrograde motion of a ship.1834MedwinAngler in Wales II. 117Toby then dropped to the hind part of Tickler..and some thought passed the winning post before Idris.1847InfantryMan.(1854) 86The officers drop to the rear.1867SmythSailor's Word-bk.,Drop astern, to, to slacken a ship's way, so as to suffer another one to pass beyond her.9. a.To come or go casually, unexpectedly, or in an apparently undesigned manner (into a place, across, on, upon any person or thing casually met with); to fall upon. Also with adverbs, as by, over, up, etc. See also drop in, 27.a1633AustinMedit.(1635) 73Not dropping into Towne, (like men, that follow their private affaires, and no body lookes after them): but, they make their entrance in a publike manner.1709SteeleTatlerNo.47 ⁋5,I looked into Shakespear. The Tragedy I dropped into was, Harry the Fourth.1853BrightSp.India 3 June,The gentlemen who drop down there for six..months.1862Mrs. H. WoodMrs. Hallib. i. iii,He's sure to drop across somebody that..wants it.1877Mrs. ForresterMignon I. 11We shall probably drop upon a stray couple of lovers.1879FarrarSt.Paul II. 584 note,When the Church grew, and heathens dropped not unfrequently into its meetings.1887Lantern (New Orleans) 12 Nov. 3/2If Superintendent Adams will accidentally-on-purpose drop up there some night perhaps he'll ketch them.1893‘Mark Twain’ inAuthors ClubBk.I. 158,I only just dropped over to ask about the little madam.1930L. HughesNot without Laughter xix. 216Drop by Sunday and lemme know for sure.1935F. M. FordLet.27 Sept. (1965) 244Wouldn't it be better if you dropped over here for a little and we could talk about the book.b.Slangphr.to drop (down) to or on (to): to come casually or accidentally to knowledge of (something); to understand, become aware of, recognize. Also absol.1819VauxVocab.FlashLang.168To drop down to a person is to discover or be aware of his character or designs.1859G. MatsellVocabulum 54The copper..could not drop to my chant or mug,..the officer..could not recollect my name or face.1876Coso Mining News (Darwin,Cal.) 3 June 4/6Drop on yourself Lent, you are out of season.1886Lantern (New Orleans) 6 Oct. 2/2The crowd dropped to his little game.1887Ibid.17 Sept. 2/3The boys..ain't never dropped onto the way of Ed Vaz.1888‘R. Boldrewood’Robbery under Arms I. x. 118,I could see him..watching me when I put on the whole box and dice of the telegraph business. He ‘dropped’, I could see.1895J. RobertsDiary 31/1,I dropped down to it after a bit.1901M. E. RyanMontana viii. 118As I slipped out through the back door before your visitors left, I dropped to the fact that you had some damage done to that left arm.1964R. BraddonYear Angry Rabbit xv. 136It was the only place we could live—without being caught that is. Surprises me you never dropped to it, Mr Prime Minister, sir.10.To come down upon, on with a surprise, a check, or forcible reproof; to ‘pitch into’. colloq.1852DickensBleak Ho. xxiv. 217 (Farmer)He's welcome to drop into me, right and left.1857Sessions Paper 9 Apr. 762If you give me in custody you will be dropped upon for it.1877Five Years' PenalServ.iv. 268 (Farmer)Do the police ever drop upon the parties and frustrate their plans?1894Wilkins & VivianGreen Bay Tree I. 48The poor Pigeon will get dropped on.1894G. MooreEsther Waters i. 4You'll have to mind your p's and q's or else you'll be dropped on.1919StrandMag.Apr. 290/2He'll get dropped on one of these days.1959Listener 2 Apr. 603/3The present system creates in the minds of people who are prosecuted the feeling that it is unfair that they have been dropped on and other people have not.II.Transitive senses.11.To let fall or shed (liquid) in drops or small portions; to distil; to shed (tears). Also fig.? Obs.a1340HampolePsalterProl.,Þai drope swetnes in mannys saule.1387TrevisaHigden (Rolls) I. 101Herbes groweþ þeron þat droppeþ gom.a1400–50Alexander 3801A litill drysnyng of dewe was droppid fra þe heuen.1548Udall, etc.Erasm. Par.Matt.iii. (R.),That the thyng..be stilled, & as it wer dropped into the heartes of men.a1626Bp.Andrewes Serm.(1641) 429If these eyes of Iob have droppen many a teare.1741Compl.Fam.-Piece i. i. 14Drop in it thirty or forty of Jones's Drops.1798Jane AustenLet.27 Oct. (1952) 23,I had the dignity of dropping out my mother's laudanum last night.absol.1393GowerConf.III. 36Sende Lazar..that he his finger wete In water, so that he maie droppe Upon my tonge.1588Shakes.Tit.A. iii. i. 19In summers drought Ile drop vpon thee still.12.To sprinkle with or as with drops; to be-drop; to spot; to dot with spots of colour. arch.c1430Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. ci. (1869) 55The scrippe thus dropped with this blood.c1430Stans Puer 57 in BabeesBk.(1868) 31Droppe not þi brest with seew & oþer potage.1548HallChron.,Hen.IV, 12The flancardes droped and gutted with red.1667MiltonP.L. vii. 406Their wav'd coats dropt with Gold.c1820S. RogersItaly (1839) 253Fish Innumerable dropt with crimson and gold.13. a.To let fall (like a drop or drops). Also fig.c1315[see droppingvbl.n.2].a1400–50Alexander 1363Þe kyng..Devynez deply on days, dropes mony willes.1530Palsgr.530/1,I droppe a wyle, as a crafty man dothe, jaffine..Let me alone with hym, I shall droppe a wyle to begyle him.1588Shakes.Tit.A. ii. iv. 50He would haue dropt his knife and fell asleepe.1600―A.Y.L. iii. ii. 250It may wel be cal'd Ioues tree, when it droppes forth fruite.1697DrydenVirg.Past. vi. 24His rosie Wreath was dropt not long before.1830TennysonPoems 149Furl the sail! drop the oar! Leap ashore!1837WhewellHist.Induct.Sc.(1857) II. 43Bodies..dropt from an elevated object.b.to drop anchor: to let the anchor down, to cast anchor. See anchorn.¹ 6 c. Also absol.1634Sir T. HerbertTrav.27Tyding up with streame-Anchors, each sixe houres weighing and dropping.1682PepysDiary VI. 143Dropped presently her anchor, and is..come safe in harbour.1772Ann.Reg.151/1Soon after the Venus had dropped, the master of the ceremonies and the captain..were sent on board.1890H. M. StanleyIn darkest Africa I. 373The steamer dropped anchor in the baylet of Nyamsassi.c.To form by dropping from a shot-tower into a water-cistern.1892W. W. GreenerBreech-Loader 165Lead shot is of two kinds: that which is moulded, as large buckshot, and that which is ‘dropped’, as the ordinary small shot.d.to drop a brick, clanger: see brickn.¹ 5 c, clanger.14.To let fall in birth; to give birth to (young); to lay (an egg). The usual word in reference to sheep. Also absol.1662PepysDiary 22 June,A Portugall lady..that hath dropped a child already since the Queen's coming.c1709Prior2nd Hymn Callimachus 64Ewes, that erst brought forth but single lambs, Now dropp'd their twofold burthens.1749F. SmithVoy.Disc.II. 17The Does passing to the South⁓ward to Fawn or drop their Young.1816KeatingeTrav.(1817) II.App.263At the time the ewes drop.Ibid.II. 11Mares drop their foals in January.1834R. MudieFeathered Tribes (1841) I. 46The eggs are not..dropped till toward the end of May.15. a.To let fall (words, a hint, etc.); to utter casually or by the way. Also with obj.clause.1611BibleAmos vii. 16Prophecie not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.1668Culpepper & ColeBarthol.Anat.Man.iv. i. 337Both these Authors can somtimes drop leasings.1706HearneCollect.23 Jan.,Keile dropt..by chance, ytmyLd.Pembroke was inform'd.1772H. WalpoleLastJrnls.(1859) I. 15She never dropped a syllable which intimated her expecting death.1888BurgonLives 12Gd.Men II. x. 268Quoting short Latin sayings, without dropping a hint as to their authorship.b.To let (a letter or note) fall into the letter-box; hence, to send (a note, etc.) in a casual or informal way.1769G. WhitefieldLet.5 Sept. in Wks.(1771) III. 392Although I could not write to you whilst ashore, yet I must drop you a few lines now I am come aboard.1777J. Q. Adams inFam.Lett.(1876) 234I will drop a line as often as I can.1889E. DowsonLet.25 Mar. (1967) 57If you can dine with me to-night somewhere drop me a wire to Bridge Dock before 5.1945Bristol (New Hampshire) Enterprise 15 Feb. 3/4Just drop a card to your county agent.16.slang.a.To give, lose, or part with (money). Also absol., to lose or give away money.1676WycherleyPl. Dealer iii. i,After a tedious fretting and wrangling, they drop away all their money on both sides.1812J. H. VauxFlashDict.s.v.,He dropp'd me a quid, he gave me a guinea.1849ThackerayPendennis xliii. (Farmer),We played hazard..And I dropped all the money I had from you in the morning.1876Besant & RiceGold. Butterfly xxxi,Tommy is dropping pretty heavily[at écarté].1893Lady BurtonLife Sir R. Burton I. 590He was afraid he would drop several thousand pounds.1916E. WallaceClue Twisted Candle (1918) xvii. 194‘Did she drop?’ asked the other eagerly... ‘She hasn't got the money,’ he said, ‘but she's going to get it.’1931C. MassieConfessions of Vagabond vii. 79Such men frequently ‘drop’ generously.1939H. HodgeCab, Sir? 222To tip well is to ‘drop heavy’.b.To pass (counterfeit money, cheques, etc.). slang.1938F. D. SharpeSharpe of Flying Squad xiv. 150‘Dropping’ the forgers' cheques.1962DailyTel.23 June 9/1Both lots of notes were printed on the Continent and are being ‘dropped’ in this country.1968L. BlackOutbreak xiii. 131The known value of counterfeit fivers dropped is more than double that.c.To swallow or take (a drug);esp.inphr.to drop acid: see acidn.1 c. slang.1966Alpert & CohenLSD (inside cover)Drop a cap, swallow a capsule of LSD.1967R. BronsteenHippies'Handbk.13,I dropped my first acid in Paris.1969Guardian 3 Dec. 9/1She had dropped some LSD and had been tripping for an unknown number of hours.1971‘E. McBain’Hail, Hail, Gang's All Here ii. 170,I realized he was on an acid trip... I tried to find out what he'd dropped.1973M. AmisRachel Papers 183,I was using the Mandrax my dentist had given me, surreptitiously dropping one at ten thirty.1984S. Bellow inVanity Fair Feb. 110/2Some kids are dropping acid, stealing cars.1985S. VanaukenUnder Mercy iv. 81We obtained two six-hit caps and, recklessly, decided to drop the lot.17.to drop a curtsy: to make a curtsy by lowering the body; so, to drop a nod.1694, etc.[see curtsyn.3].1880G. MeredithTrag.Com.(1881) 280Tresten dropped a nod.18.To bring or throw to the ground by a blow or shot; to fell with a blow, ‘floor’.1726Adv.Capt.R. Boyle 199,I..dispatch'd two of 'em immediately, and I had made a shift to drop a third.1812SportingMag.XXXIX. 243The coachman dropped his man the first round.1813J. Q. AdamsWks.(1856) X. 54The wood-cutter..was puzzled to find a tree to drop.1834MedwinAngler in Wales II. 151,I..planted my fist..under his jaw-bone, and dropped him at once.1872H. M. StanleyHow I found Livingstone (1890) 460,I..fired at it; but..did not succeed in dropping it.19.To deposit from a ship or vehicle; to set down; also, to leave (a packet) at a person's house.1796Nelson 4 Aug. in NicolasDisp. II. 233So soon as he has dropped the Convoy at Naples, he will proceed on his voyage.1856KaneArct. Expl. II. xxix. 296[He]promised to drop us at the Shetland Islands.1859Mrs. CarlyleLett.II. 395,I will drop this at your door in passing for my drive.1878S. WalpoleHist.Eng.II. 551He would..stop his coach to drop a friend at his own door.20.To omit (a letter or syllable) in pronunciation or writing.1864TennysonSea Dreams 192Dropping the too rough H in Hell and Heaven.1871RobyLat.Gram.i. viii. 49The preposition prod always drops the d in composition except before a vowel.1872O. W. HolmesPoet Breakf.-t. ii. (1885) 36He does not drop his h's.1883S. C. HallRetrospect II. 191The son of a celebrated clown, Gomery, who had dropped the aristocratic syllable Mont.21.To let droop or hang down.1842L. HuntPalfrey i. 149,I blush, dear uncle; I drop mine eye-lids.1894BlackmorePerlycross 51The fair Tamar dropped her eyes, and hung her head.22. a.To let move gently with the tide.b.to drop astern: to leave in the rear.1805W. Hunter inNavalChron.XIII. 24Admiral H...ordered me to drop the Cutter up-abreast of Common Hard.1867SmythSailor's Word-bk.,Drop astern, to..distancing a competitor.1887DailyTel.10 Sept. 2/5A couple of..catboats..were dropped astern at a great rate.23.To lower (the voice) in pitch or loudness.1860Mrs. GaskellRight at Last,He dropped his voice.24.Rugby Football.a.To obtain (a goal) by a drop-kick.1882Standard 20 Nov. 2/8B. then dropped another goal.b.intr.To make a drop-kick.1905A. Conan DoyleReturn of S. Holmes 310He couldn't drop from the twenty-five line, and a three-quarter who can't either punt or drop isn't worth a place for pace alone.25.To cease to keep up, or have to do with; to have done with; to leave off or let alone; to break off acquaintance or association with. drop it! (colloq.or slang) Have done! leave off!1605Shakes.Macb.iii. i. 122Certaine friends..Whose loues I may not drop.1700T. Browntr.Fresny's Amusem.Ser.&Com.75Let us drop that Matter.1700Roderick inBallardMSS.23. 23The..bill is likely to be dropt.1711AddisonSpect.No.89 ⁋1She will drop him in his old Age, if she can find her Account in another.1767WesleyJrnl.20 Nov.,I save at least eightpence by dropping tea in the afternoon.1844DickensMart. Chuz. xx. 250Drop it, I say!.. Drop it—now and for ever.1872Public Opinion 24 Feb. 241He looked at me angrily, and briefly answered, ‘drop it’.1873BlackPr.Thule xxiv. 403So the subject was discreetly dropped.1882BluntRef.Ch.Eng.II. 88A custom which had once been universal, and had never been entirely dropped.1889FroudeCh.of Dunboy xxvii,‘Drop that..or..I will drive a bullet through the brain of you.’III.With adverbs.26.drop away. intr.To fall away drop by drop, or one by one.1601R. JohnsonKingd.& Commw. (1603) 18Then began they to drop away one by one, leaving the camp so disordered.1720De FoeCapt.Singleton xix. (1840) 324The men might drop away, and..betray all the rest.1882LeckyEng.in 18th C. IV. xv. 252If the war continued much longer, America would almost certainly drop away.27.drop in. intr.a.See simple senses and inadv.b.To come in unintentionally; to come in or call unexpectedly or casually; to pay a casual visit.c1600Shakes.Sonn.xc,Join with the spite of fortune, make me bow, And do not drop in for an after-loss.1667PepysDiary 28 Oct.,Mr. Pierce, the surgeon, dropped in.1754RichardsonGrandison (1781) I. i. 2He dropt in upon us as we were going to dinner.1850W. IrvingGoldsmith xiii. 166Many dropped in uninvited.1887JessoppArcady ii. 34The younger neighbours drop in to have a talk.c.To come in one by one or at intervals.1697W. DampierVoy.I. viii. 219These..came dropping in one or two at a time, as they were able.1879FroudeCæsar xxiv. 417The other legions dropped in slowly.d.To fall casually into one's hands or disposal, to become vacant.1770Mrs. J. Harris inPriv.Lett.Ld.Malmesbury (1870) I. 189Till a larger patent place in the West Indies..drops in.e.To meet casually with, to fall in with.1802E. ParsonsMysterious Visit IV. 217The party Lord Lymington accidentally dropped in with.f.Surfing. (i) To obstruct another surfer by beginning one's surf ride in his path. (ii) To slide down the face of the wave immediately after take-off.1965P. L. DixonCompl.Bk.Surfing (1966) 195Drop in, a big surf term meaning to continue the slide down the face of the wave to gain speed.1967Surfabout IV. iii. 27/1Most of you are still beginners, so before taking-off on a wave, check carefully to see that no one has picked up a wave farther along, and is coming straight for you. This is usually termed ‘dropping in’ and you won't find yourself particularly popular if you are caught doing this.1968SurferMag.Jan. 52/1Martinson dropped in with one stroke.1968W. WarwickSurfriding inN.Z.17/2Don't drop in on other surfers on a wave.1971Studies in English (Univ.Cape Town) Feb. 26It is a mark of a gremlin or gremmy to drop in (i.e., to take off on the outside of someone who has already started to take off).28.drop off. intr.a.See simple senses and offadv.b.To withdraw or retire one by one, or by degrees.1709SteeleTatlerNo.149 ⁋2,I..found the[others]..drop off designedly to leave me alone with the eldest Daughter.1824ByronJuan xvi. viii,The banqueteers had dropp'd off one by one.1890CenturyMag.Nov. 112/1The membership of the Society began dropping off.c.To fall asleep.1820Baroness Bunsen in HareLife (1879) I. v. 159He put his arms round his own mother's neck..and dropped off.1861DickensGt.Expect. xiii,Whenever they saw me dropping off,[they]woke me up.d.To die;=5 b.1699J. Jackson inPepys' Diary VI. 213He is..extremely ill, and could not do a greater service to strangers than to drop off at this juncture.1771FooteMaid of B. iii.Wks.1799 II. 230He dropped off in six months.1884G. AllenPhilistia II. 56He..would probably drop off quietly with suppressed gout.e.To become less frequent or assiduous in.1827Examiner 684/1The defendant began to drop off in his visits.29.drop out.a.intr.(See simple senses and outadv.)b.To withdraw or disappear from one's (or its) place in a series, group, etc.; to disappear from public notice; spec.to ‘opt out’ from society.1660F. Brooketr.Le Blanc'sTrav.100The shell opens, and the nut drops out.1865J. D. WhitneyRep.Geol.SurveyCalif.: Geology I. x. 422If the bottom of the Yosemite did ‘drop out’..it was not all done in one piece.1883‘Mark Twain’Life on Miss. li. 507,I asked him to hold my musket while I dropped out and got a drink.1932A. J. WorrallEng.Idioms 69One of the runners soon dropped out.1933P. GodfreyBack-Stage iii. 38Sometimes a player drops out through illness or accident.1952G. W. BraceSpire (1953) xx. 195Hadn't you better drop out and make a new start in the autumn?1962Sunday Times 21 Jan. 24/6They say to me: Of course you remember So-and-So; and of course I say I do; but I really don't, it's somebody who's dropped right out.1967Listener 31 Aug. 273/3Drop out of school, because schools' education today is the worst narcotic drug of all. Don't politic, don't vote... Drop out—tune in with natural things.1970DailyTel.(ColourSuppl.) 17 Apr. 9/4He had started a university course in San Francisco but dropped out for reasons not yet known.c.Rugby Football. To make a drop-kick(seedrop-out 1).1917A. WaughLoom of Youth ii. ii. 127In a state of feverish panic Livingstone dropped out.d.Photogr.To eliminate (something) from a negative, plate, etc.; spec.to eliminate the highlight dots from (part of a half-tone negative or plate). Also absol.or intr.Cf.drop-out 3.1948[see drop-out 3].1951F. Preucil inProgress inPhotogr.I. xi. 390Special copy preparation to drop out highlights is used.1967Karch & BuberOffset Processes iv. 125Modification is possible to..drop-out shadows in Benday screens.30.drop short. intr.a.To fall short; usually with of, to fail to reach or obtain. (Inquot.a 1726, to drop simply, in same sense.)1688BunyanHeavenly Footm. (1886) 143Many eminent professors drop short of a welcome from God into this pleasant place.a1726Collier (J.),Often it drops or overshoots by the disproportions of distance or application.c1850Rudim.Navig.(Weale) 152A strake which drops short of the stem.b.colloq.or slang. To die.1826SportingMag.XXII. 327One of these days he must drop short.Add:[I.][4.][a.]Also incolloq.phr.ready (or fit) to drop: tired out, physically exhausted.1892C. M. YongeThat Stick I. ii. 16Of all the sluts I've ever been plagued with, she's the very worst, and so I tell her till I'm ready to drop.1909Webster 822/3He walked until he was fit to drop.1919G. B. ShawGreat Catherine ii. 136,I wear a crown until my neck aches: I stand looking majestic until I am ready to drop.1969‘M. Fallon’Fine Night for Dying v. 56She looked tired, ready to drop at any moment.1987N.Y.Times 20 Sept. i. 48/6At the end of the year, I was ready to drop, but he does it year in and year out.[II.][13.]e.Sport. To lose (a contest, game, etc.),esp.unexpectedly.orig.U.S.1961St.Louis Post-Dispatch 2 May 4c/8New York's '51 Giants..dropped 11 of their first 13[games].1970R. CooverUniversal BaseballAssoc.vii. 204Play the game, play it out. So they did and dropped the last nine games in a row.1978Washington Post 28 Jan. f7/2Mayer immediately dropped four games in a row, double-faulting to lose his serve to 2–3.1986DailyTel.1 July 29/5Helena Sukova..has not dropped a set in her four matches.1987Washington Post 10 Oct. d7/3Only once, in 1985, have the Capitals been above the .500 mark..after 20 games. They dropped their first three that year.f.To lower or take down (one's trousers),esp.publicly.a1967J. OrtonWhat Butler Saw (1969) i. 41He takes it off, kicks away his shoes and drops his trousers.1977Washington Post 5 June d4/1The unknown qualifier dropped his pants and began screaming madly at the course, the qualifying school and the game of golf.1986City Limits 12 June 15/2I'd like to drop my trousers to the Queen.[25.]b.euphem.To dismiss (a worker); also, to expel (a student). U.S.1845Lowell (Mass.) Offering V. 239They might ‘drop the operative’.1865N.Y.Herald 29 June 5/5Two men who have made most distinguished reputations in this war, have each had sons ‘dropped’ here.[sc.West Point].1894Harper'sMag.Apr. 770/1He must maintain a certain standard of scholarship or he will be dropped.1938N.Y.Times 7 Aug. v. 1 (heading)Cochrane dropped as Tigers' pilot; Baker is appointed new manager.1940Univ.WashingtonCatal.1940–1941 66The college concerned is to decide when a student on probation, because of continued low scholarship, shall be dropped from the college.1965Bull.Southern MethodistUniv.School of Humanities 39A student who fails to attain a 1.0 grade-point average in any semester is dropped.1982N.Y.Times 14 Feb. i. 23/5The proposed reductions in the 1983 budget were expected to force the Soil Conservation Service to drop 900 employees from its work force.c.Sport. To discard (a player) from a team.1949F. A. LewisCleveland Indians i. 5When the switch to a pro team was made in the ensuing winter, most of the amateur team was dropped.1951Sport 27 Jan.–2 Feb. 3/1Streten is playing too well to be dropped!1976Economist 25 Dec. 27/3It could also..bring new demands from players: they might sue coaches for dropping them from the team, or otherwise use their new legal muscle in court.1981G. BoycottIn Fast Lane i. 8Then he was dropped by England after a couple of Test matches at home, and I feel he was discarded too soon.1990Thames Valley Now Feb. 23/1Botham was not dropped, merely relieved of the captaincy.[c indigo][28.]f.[/c] trans.To set down (a passenger).Cf.sense 19 above.1961L. BiddleSam Bentley's Island vii. 73‘We'll drop Mr. Rawlings off in Ardmore’, Julia said.1978S. SheldonBloodline xii. 156When Rhys dropped Elizabeth off at school, she said, ‘I don't know how to thank you.’1983J. M. CoetzeeLife & Times Michael K i. 130They were dropped off at various farms in the district according to a roster the driver kept.1986M. ForsterPrivate Papers 151She allowed him to drop her off at our respective residences.▸ trans.slang (orig.and chiefly U.S.). With allusion to the (former) cost of a call made from a public telephone.to drop a dime and variants: to inform on or betray a person, to act as an informer; to report illegal activity,esp.to the police. Freq. with on.1966N.Y.Post 24 Aug. 30/1To inform on someone is called ‘dropping the dime’.1983Washington Post 14 Jan. c5/2You mean all these people have dropped the dime on you and you're not going to make a statement on them?1988N. StephensonZodiac iii. 24As soon as we're done I'm going to drop a dime on one of our earnest young ecolawyers and see if we can sue the crap out of him.1997D. Simon & E. BurnsCorner 104He could see the dusty bitch dropping dime over a single vial.▸ trans.slang (orig.U.S.).a.To sing or perform (rap lyrics or rap music).1988Los Angeles Times 10 Oct. vi. 5/4The Fresh Prince gave himself and Jazzy Jeff a last-gasp pep talk before performing their current hit... ‘If we drop this record (i.e., play this song) and the crowd don't go wild, I think we pretty much had it, pally wally.’1989‘Big Daddy Kane’Another Victory (song) in L. A. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics (1992) 16They don't drop rhymes like these.1996‘Freak Nasty’Da' Dip (song) in Hip-hop & Rap (2003) 68Droppin' bass like a bad habit.2002Billboard 4 May 21/4Cee-Lo proves that despite his many musical influences he can still drop lyrical jewels on a good old-fashioned breakbeat.b.to drop science: to impart knowledge or wisdom,freq.about social issues,esp.through the medium of rap or hip-hop music.1988‘Beastie Boys’Sounds of Science (transcription of song) in www.lyricsfreak.com (O.E.D. Archive)Now here we go dropping science..Expanding the horizons.1990‘Paris’Break Grip of Shame (song) in L. A. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics (1992) 245Paris is my name, I don't sleep I drop science and keep the peace.1994Straight No Chaser Summer 6The Silent Poets—fresh from recording with Menelik in Paris—slipped into South London to drop science with the Mad Professor.1999Village VoiceLit.Suppl.Apr.–May 84/1Stylish, confident, and capable of dropping science on everything from the roots of rap to the vagaries of child-support legislation.c.To release (a musical recording, etc.). Also intr.: (of a musical recording, etc.) to be released.1992Rap Masters Jan. 58In 1979..the Sugarhill Gang dropped their first rap album.1993B. CrossIt's not about Salary 246They dropped the video.2003Us Weekly 7–14 July 36Due out August 19 (the same day runner-up Clay Aiken's record is expected to drop), Studdard's CD will include ‘R&B, pop, club tunes, and a gospel song’.d.Esp. of a disc jockey: to play (recorded music), typically on a turntable.1992Times 28 Nov. (Sat.Review) 35/1His portable tape recorder ‘drops’ his favourite tunes.1995Mixmag May 34/2Suddenly the DJ drops ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ by Dusty Springfield.2003N.Y.Times (Nationaled.) 26 Oct. ii. 25/2If you heard a D.J. drop Nancy Sinatra's version of the Sonny and Cher corpse ‘Bang-Bang’..you'd run over and beg for the D.J.'s card.