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fall - 11 dictionary results
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fall

  [fawl] verb, fell, fall⋅en, fall⋅ing, noun
Use fall in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to drop or descend under the force of gravity, as to a lower place through loss or lack of support.
2. to come or drop down suddenly to a lower position, esp. to leave a standing or erect position suddenly, whether voluntarily or not: to fall on one's knees.
3. to become less or lower; become of a lower level, degree, amount, quality, value, number, etc.; decline: The temperature fell ten degrees. Stock prices fell to a new low for the year.
4. to subside or abate.
5. extend downward; hang down: Her hair falls to her shoulders.
6. to become lowered or directed downward, as the eyes: My eyes fell before his steady gaze.
7. to become lower in pitch or volume: Her voice fell, and she looked about in confusion.
8. to succumb to temptation or sin, esp. to become unchaste or to lose one's innocence.
9. to lose status, dignity, position, character, etc.
10. to succumb to attack: The city fell to the enemy.
11. to be overthrown, as a government.
12. to drop down wounded or dead, esp. to be slain: to fall in battle.
13. to pass into some physical, mental, or emotional condition: to fall asleep; to fall in love.
14. to envelop or come as if by dropping, as stillness or night.
15. to issue forth: Witty remarks fall easily from his lips.
16. to come by lot or chance: The chore fell to him.
17. to come by chance into a particular position: to fall among thieves.
18. to come to pass, occur, or become at a certain time: Christmas falls on a Monday this year. The rent falls due the first of every month.
19. to have its proper place: The accent falls on the last syllable.
20. to come by right: The inheritance fell to the only living relative.
21. to be naturally divisible (usually fol. by into): The story fell into two distinct parts.
22. to lose animation; appear disappointed, as the face: His face fell when he heard the bad news.
23. to slope or extend in a downward direction: The field falls gently to the river.
24. to be directed, as light, sight, etc., on something: His eyes fell upon the note on the desk.
25. to collapse, as through weakness, damage, poor construction, or the like; topple or sink: The old tower fell under its own weight. The cake fell when he slammed the oven door.
26. (of an animal, esp. a lamb) to be born: Two lambs fell yesterday.
–verb (used with object)
27. to fell (a tree, animal, etc.).
–noun
28. an act or instance of falling or dropping from a higher to a lower place or position.
29. that which falls or drops: a heavy fall of rain.
30. the season of the year that comes after summer and before winter; autumn.
31. a becoming less; a lowering or decline; a sinking to a lower level: the fall of the Roman Empire.
32. the distance through which anything falls: It is a long fall to the ground from this height.
33. Usually, falls. a cataract or waterfall.
34. downward slope or declivity: the gentle rise and fall of the meadow.
35. a falling from an erect position, as to the ground: to have a bad fall.
36. a hanging down: a fall of long hair.
37. a succumbing to temptation; lapse into sin.
38. the Fall, (sometimes lowercase) Theology. the lapse of human beings into a state of natural or innate sinfulness through the sin of Adam and Eve.
39. Slang. an arrest by the police.
40. surrender or capture, as of a city.
41. proper place: the fall of an accent on a syllable.
42. Wrestling.
a. an act or instance of holding or forcing an opponent's shoulders against the mat for a specified length of time.
b. a match or division of a match.
43. a hairpiece consisting of long hair that is attached to one's own hair at the crown and usually allowed to hang freely down the back of the head so as to cover or blend with the natural hair.
44. an opaque veil hanging loose from the back of a hat.
45. falling band.
46. a decorative cascade of lace, ruffles, or the like.
47. Machinery, Nautical. the part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.
48. Hunting. a deadfall.
49. the long soft hair that hangs over the forehead and eyes of certain terriers.
50. Armor. a pivoted peak projecting over the face opening of a burgonet.
51. Astrology. the sign of the zodiac in which the most negative influence of a planet is expressed (as opposed to exaltation).
52. Mining. rock or ore that has collapsed from a roof, hanging wall, or the sides of a passage.
—Verb phrases
53. fall away,
a. to withdraw support or allegiance: The candidate's supporters fell away when he advocated racial discrimination.
b. to become lean or thin; diminish; decline.
c. to forsake one's faith, cause, or principles: Many fell away because they were afraid of reprisals.
54. fall back, to give way; recede; retreat: The relentless shelling forced the enemy to fall back.
55. fall back on or upon,
a. Also, fall back to. to retreat to: They fell back on their entrenchments. The troops fell back to their original position.
b. to have recourse to; rely on: They had no savings to fall back on.
56. fall behind,
a. to lag, in pace or progress: We are falling behind in our work. Fatigued, some of the marchers fell behind.
b. to fail to pay (a debt, obligation, etc.) at the appointed time: She fell behind in her tax payments, and the property was confiscated.
57. fall down, Informal. to perform disappointingly; to disappoint; fail: He was doing well on the exam until he fell down on the last essay question.
58. fall for, Slang.
a. to be deceived by: Imagine falling for such an old trick.
b. to fall in love with: He's not at all the type you would expect her to fall for.
59. fall in,
a. to fall to pieces toward the interior; sink inward.
b. to take one's place in the ranks, as a soldier.
c. Also, fall in with. to become acquainted with, esp. by chance: We fell in with an interesting couple from Paris.
60. fall off,
a. to separate from; withdraw.
b. to decrease in number, amount, or intensity; diminish: Tourism falls off when the summer is over.
c. Nautical. to deviate from the heading; fall to leeward.
d. South Midland and Southern U.S. to lose weight, usually due to illness: She was sick all winter and fell off till she was just skin and bones.
61. fall on or upon,
a. to assault; attack: The enemy fell on them suddenly from the rear.
b. to be the obligation of: It has fallen on me to support the family.
c. to experience; encounter: Once well-to-do, they had fallen on hard times.
d. to chance upon; come upon: I fell upon the idea while looking through a magazine.
62. fall out,
a. to quarrel; disagree: We fell out over who was to wash the dishes.
b. to happen; occur: It fell out that we met by chance weeks later.
c. to leave one's place in the ranks, as a soldier: They were ordered to fall out when the parade ended.
d. Slang. to burst out laughing.
e. South Midland and Southern U.S. to become unconscious; pass out.
63. fall through, to come to nothing; fail of realization: Despite all his efforts, the deal fell through.
64. fall to,
a. to apply oneself; begin: to fall to work.
b. to begin to eat: They fell to and soon finished off the entire turkey.
65. fall under,
a. to be the concern or responsibility of.
b. to be classified as; be included within: That case falls under the heading of errors of judgment.
—Idioms
66. fall all over oneself, to show unusual or excessive enthusiasm or eagerness, esp. in the hope of being favored or rewarded: The young trainees fell all over themselves to praise the boss's speech. Also, fall over oneself.
67. fall or come short. short (def. 47).
68. fall foul or afoul of. foul (def. 38).
69. fall off the roof, Slang: Older Use. to menstruate.
70. fall on one's feet. land (def. 25).
71. fall out of bed, to get out of bed quickly.
72. fall over backward(s).
a. bend (def. 15).
b. to exhibit great eagerness, esp. in pursuit of one's own advantage: The candidate fell over backward in support of the issues that would win votes.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME fallen, OE feallan; c. G fallen, ON falla; akin to Lith pùlti to fall

Fall

  [fawl]
–noun
Albert Bacon, 1861–1944, U.S. politician: senator 1912–21; secretary of the Interior 1921–23; convicted in Teapot Dome scandal.

Fall, The

 
–noun
French, La Chute), a novel (1957) by Albert Camus.

falling band

 
–noun
a large, flat collar, usually trimmed with lace, worn by men in the 17th century.
Also called fall.

Origin:
1590–1600

Fall River

 
–noun
a seaport in SE Massachusetts, on an arm of Narragansett Bay. 92,574.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fall
fall   (fôl)   
v.   fell (fěl), fall·en (fô'lən), fall·ing, falls

v.   intr.
  1. To drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity.
  2. To drop oneself to a lower or less erect position: I fell back in my chair. The pilgrims fell to their knees.
    1. To lose an upright or erect position suddenly.
    2. To drop wounded or dead, especially in battle.
    3. To experience defeat or ruin: After 300 years the dynasty fell.
    4. To lose office: The disgraced prime minister fell from power.
    5. To lessen in amount or degree: The air pressure is falling.
    6. To decline in financial value: Last year, stocks fell sharply.
    7. To give in to temptation; sin.
    8. Theology To lose primordial innocence and happiness. Used of humanity as a result of the Fall.
    9. To lose one's chastity.
    10. To be given by assignment or distribution: The greatest task fell to me.
    11. To be given by right or inheritance.
  4. To go or come as if by falling: All grief fell from our hearts. Night fell quickly.
  5. To come to rest; settle: The light fell on my book.
  6. To hang down: The child's hair fell in ringlets.
  7. To be cast down: Her eyes fell.
  8. To assume an expression of consternation or disappointment: His face fell when he heard the report.
  9. To undergo conquest or capture, especially as the result of an armed attack: The city fell after a long siege.
    1. To experience defeat or ruin: After 300 years the dynasty fell.
    2. To lose office: The disgraced prime minister fell from power.
    3. To lessen in amount or degree: The air pressure is falling.
    4. To decline in financial value: Last year, stocks fell sharply.
    5. To give in to temptation; sin.
    6. Theology To lose primordial innocence and happiness. Used of humanity as a result of the Fall.
    7. To lose one's chastity.
    8. To be given by assignment or distribution: The greatest task fell to me.
    9. To be given by right or inheritance.
  11. To slope downward: The rolling hills fall gently toward the coast.
    1. To lessen in amount or degree: The air pressure is falling.
    2. To decline in financial value: Last year, stocks fell sharply.
    3. To give in to temptation; sin.
    4. Theology To lose primordial innocence and happiness. Used of humanity as a result of the Fall.
    5. To lose one's chastity.
    6. To be given by assignment or distribution: The greatest task fell to me.
    7. To be given by right or inheritance.
  13. To diminish in pitch or volume: My friend's voice fell to a whisper.
    1. To give in to temptation; sin.
    2. Theology To lose primordial innocence and happiness. Used of humanity as a result of the Fall.
    3. To lose one's chastity.
    4. To be given by assignment or distribution: The greatest task fell to me.
    5. To be given by right or inheritance.
  15. To pass into a particular state, condition, or situation: fell silent; fall in love.
  16. To occur at a specified time: New Year's Day falls on a Tuesday this year.
  17. To occur at a specified place: The stress falls on the last syllable.
  18. To come, as by chance: fell among a band of thieves; a thought that fell into his mind.
    1. To be given by assignment or distribution: The greatest task fell to me.
    2. To be given by right or inheritance.
  20. To be included within the range or scope of something: The specimens fall into three categories.
  21. To come into contact; strike: My gaze fell on a small book in the corner.
  22. To come out; issue: Insincere compliments fell from their lips.
  23. To apply oneself: fell to work immediately.
  24. To be born. Used chiefly of lambs.
v.   tr.
To cut down (a tree); fell.
n.  
  1. The act or an instance of falling.
  2. A sudden drop from a relatively erect to a less erect position.
  3. Something that has fallen: a fall of hail.
    1. An amount that has fallen: a fall of two inches of rain.
    2. The distance that something falls: The victim suffered a fall of three stories to the ground.
    3. A veil hung from a woman's hat and down her back.
    4. An ornamental cascade of lace or trimming attached to a dress, usually at the collar.
    5. A woman's hairpiece with long, free-hanging hair.
    6. An overthrow; a collapse: the fall of a government.
    7. Armed capture of a place under siege: the fall of Troy.
    8. A moral lapse.
    9. A loss of chastity.
    10. The act of holding a wrestling opponent on his or her back so that the shoulders remain in contact with the mat for a designated period, usually one or two seconds, thereby winning the match. Also called pin.
    11. Any of various wrestling maneuvers resulting in such an act.
    12. A break or rise in the level of a deck.
    13. falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
    14. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    15. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
  5. Autumn.
  6. falls (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A waterfall.
  7. A downward movement or slope.
  8. Any of several pendent articles of dress, especially:
    1. A veil hung from a woman's hat and down her back.
    2. An ornamental cascade of lace or trimming attached to a dress, usually at the collar.
    3. A woman's hairpiece with long, free-hanging hair.
    4. An overthrow; a collapse: the fall of a government.
    5. Armed capture of a place under siege: the fall of Troy.
    6. A moral lapse.
    7. A loss of chastity.
    8. The act of holding a wrestling opponent on his or her back so that the shoulders remain in contact with the mat for a designated period, usually one or two seconds, thereby winning the match. Also called pin.
    9. Any of various wrestling maneuvers resulting in such an act.
    10. A break or rise in the level of a deck.
    11. falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
    12. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    13. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
    1. An overthrow; a collapse: the fall of a government.
    2. Armed capture of a place under siege: the fall of Troy.
    3. A moral lapse.
    4. A loss of chastity.
    5. The act of holding a wrestling opponent on his or her back so that the shoulders remain in contact with the mat for a designated period, usually one or two seconds, thereby winning the match. Also called pin.
    6. Any of various wrestling maneuvers resulting in such an act.
    7. A break or rise in the level of a deck.
    8. falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
    9. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    10. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
  10. A reduction in value, amount, or degree.
  11. A marked, often sudden, decline in status, rank, or importance: "turned them in, set them up for prosecution; positioned them, as it were, for the fall" (Joan Didion).
    1. A moral lapse.
    2. A loss of chastity.
    3. The act of holding a wrestling opponent on his or her back so that the shoulders remain in contact with the mat for a designated period, usually one or two seconds, thereby winning the match. Also called pin.
    4. Any of various wrestling maneuvers resulting in such an act.
    5. A break or rise in the level of a deck.
    6. falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
    7. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    8. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
  13. often Fall Theology The loss of humanity's original innocence and happiness resulting from Adam and Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
  14. Sports
    1. The act of holding a wrestling opponent on his or her back so that the shoulders remain in contact with the mat for a designated period, usually one or two seconds, thereby winning the match. Also called pin.
    2. Any of various wrestling maneuvers resulting in such an act.
    3. A break or rise in the level of a deck.
    4. falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
    5. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    6. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
  15. Nautical
    1. A break or rise in the level of a deck.
    2. falls The apparatus used to hoist and transfer cargo or lifeboats.
    3. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    4. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
  16. The end of a cable, rope, or chain that is pulled by the power source in hoisting.
    1. The birth of an animal, especially a lamb.
    2. All the animals born at one birth; a litter.
  18. A family of woodcock in flight. See Synonyms at flock1.
  19. Botany The outer series of perianth in the irises and related plants.
adj.  
  1. Of, having to do with, occurring in, or appropriate to the season of fall: fall fashion; fall harvests.
  2. Grown during the season of fall: fall crops.
  3. To break down; collapse: The rickety chair fell apart.
  4. To suffer a nervous breakdown: He fell apart after years as a POW.
  5. To withdraw one's friendship and support.
  6. To become gradually diminished in size.
  7. To drift off an established course.
  8. To lose weight.
  9. To give ground; retreat.
  10. To recede: The waves fell back.
  11. To fail to keep up a pace; lag behind.
  12. To be financially in arrears.
  13. To feel love for; be in love with.
  14. To be deceived or swindled by: fell for the con artist's scheme and lost $200,000.
  15. To take one's place in a military formation.
  16. To sink inward; cave in: The roof of the old barn fell in.
  17. To become less; decrease: Stock prices have fallen off. The number of staff meetings fell off after a few months.
  18. To lose weight: Toward the end of the dry season, the cattle fall off rapidly.
  19. Nautical To change course to leeward.
  20. To attack suddenly and viciously: Snipers and irregulars fell on the hapless patrol.
  21. To meet with; encounter: a stockbroker who fell on hard times.
    1. To leave a barracks, for example, in order to take one's place in a military formation.
    2. To leave a military formation.
  23. To quarrel: The siblings fell out over their inheritance.
  24. To happen; occur.
  25. To be readily explainable; follow logically or naturally: These facts fall out nicely from the new theory.
Phrasal Verb(s):
fall apart
  1. To break down; collapse: The rickety chair fell apart.
  2. To suffer a nervous breakdown: He fell apart after years as a POW.
fall away
  1. To withdraw one's friendship and support.
  2. To become gradually diminished in size.
  3. To drift off an established course.
  4. To lose weight.
fall back
  1. To give ground; retreat.
  2. To recede: The waves fell back.
fall behind
  1. To fail to keep up a pace; lag behind.
  2. To be financially in arrears.
fall downTo fail to meet expectations; lag in performance: fell down on the job.
fall for
  1. To feel love for; be in love with.
  2. To be deceived or swindled by: fell for the con artist's scheme and lost $200,000.
fall in
  1. To take one's place in a military formation.
  2. To sink inward; cave in: The roof of the old barn fell in.
fall off
  1. To become less; decrease: Stock prices have fallen off. The number of staff meetings fell off after a few months.
  2. To lose weight: Toward the end of the dry season, the cattle fall off rapidly.
  3. Nautical To change course to leeward.
fall on/upon
  1. To attack suddenly and viciously: Snipers and irregulars fell on the hapless patrol.
  2. To meet with; encounter: a stockbroker who fell on hard times.
fall out
    1. To leave a barracks, for example, in order to take one's place in a military formation.
    2. To leave a military formation.
  2. To quarrel: The siblings fell out over their inheritance.
  3. To happen; occur.
  4. To be readily explainable; follow logically or naturally: These facts fall out nicely from the new theory.
fall throughTo fail; miscarry: Our plans fell through at the last minute.
fall toTo begin an activity energetically: "The press fell to with a will" (Russell Baker).

Idiom(s):
fall back on/upon
  1. To rely on: fall back on old friends in time of need.
  2. To resort to: I had to fall back on my savings when I was unemployed.

Idiom(s):
fall between (the) two stoolsTo fail because of an inability to reconcile or choose between two courses of action.

Idiom(s):
fall flat
  1. To fail miserably when attempting to achieve a result.
  2. To have no effect: The jokes fell flat.

Idiom(s):
fall foul/afoul
  1. Nautical To collide. Used of vessels.
  2. To clash: fell foul of the law.

Idiom(s):
fall from graceTo experience a major reduction in status or prestige.

Idiom(s):
fall into lineTo adhere to established rules or predetermined courses of action.

Idiom(s):
fall in with
  1. To agree with or be in harmony with: Their views fall in with ours.
  2. To associate or begin to associate with: fell in with the wrong crowd.

Idiom(s):
fall on deaf earsTo go unheeded; be ignored completely: "Moscow's own familiar charges . . . will also fall on deaf ears" (Foreign Affairs).

Idiom(s):
fall over backward/backwardsTo overexert oneself to do or accomplish something: We fell over backward to complete the project on time.

Idiom(s):
fall over (oneself)To display inordinate, typically effusive, enthusiasm: fell over themselves to impress the general's wife.

Idiom(s):
fall prey toTo be put into such a vulnerable position as to be at risk of harm, destruction, or invasion: a person who fell prey to swindlers; did not want the country to fall prey to terrorists.

Idiom(s):
fall short
  1. To fail to attain a specified amount, level, or degree: an athlete whose skill fell far short of expectations.
  2. To prove inadequate: Food supplies fell short.

Idiom(s):
fall through the cracksTo pass unnoticed, neglected, or unchecked: "In the past, many learning disabled children fell through the cracks" (Judith Harkness Richardson).

[Middle English fallen, from Old English feallan.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Fall

Fall\ (f[add]l), v. i. [imp. Fell; p. p. Fallen; p. pr. & vb. n. Falling.] [AS. feallan; akin to D. vallen, OS. & OHG. fallan, G. fallen, Icel. Falla, Sw. falla, Dan. falde, Lith. pulti, L. fallere to deceive, Gr. sfa`llein to cause to fall, Skr. sphal, sphul, to tremble. Cf. Fail, Fell, v. t., to cause to fall.]

1. To Descend, either suddenly or gradually; particularly, to descend by the force of gravity; to drop; to sink; as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the mercury falls in the barometer.

I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. --Luke x. 18.

2. To cease to be erect; to take suddenly a recumbent posture; to become prostrate; to drop; as, a child totters and falls; a tree falls; a worshiper falls on his knees.

I fell at his feet to worship him. --Rev. xix. 10.

3. To find a final outlet; to discharge its waters; to empty; -- with into; as, the river Rhone falls into the Mediterranean.

4. To become prostrate and dead; to die; especially, to die by violence, as in battle.

A thousand shall fall at thy side. --Ps. xci. 7.

He rushed into the field, and, foremost fighting, fell. --Byron.

5. To cease to be active or strong; to die away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the wind falls.

6. To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; -- said of the young of certain animals. --Shak.

7. To decline in power, glory, wealth, or importance; to become insignificant; to lose rank or position; to decline in weight, value, price etc.; to become less; as, the falls; stocks fell two points.

I am a poor falle man, unworthy now To be thy lord and master. --Shak.

The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished. --Sir J. Davies.

8. To be overthrown or captured; to be destroyed.

Heaven and earth will witness, If Rome must fall, that we are innocent. --Addison.

9. To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin; to depart from the faith; to apostatize; to sin.

Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. --Heb. iv. 11.

10. To become insnared or embarrassed; to be entrapped; to be worse off than before; asm to fall into error; to fall into difficulties.

11. To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; -- said of the countenance.

Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. --Gen. iv. 5.

I have observed of late thy looks are fallen. --Addison.

12. To sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our fortunes.

13. To pass somewhat suddenly, and passively, into a new state of body or mind; to become; as, to fall asleep; to fall into a passion; to fall in love; to fall into temptation.

14. To happen; to to come to pass; to light; to befall; to issue; to terminate.

The Romans fell on this model by chance. --Swift.

Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall. --Ruth. iii. 18.

They do not make laws, they fall into customs. --H. Spencer.

15. To come; to occur; to arrive.

The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene Council fell on the 21st of March, falls now [1694] about ten days sooner. --Holder.

16. To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows.

They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul. --Jowett (Thucyd. ).

17. To pass or be transferred by chance, lot, distribution, inheritance, or otherwise; as, the estate fell to his brother; the kingdom fell into the hands of his rivals.

18. To belong or appertain.

If to her share some female errors fall, Look on her face, and you'll forget them all. --Pope.

19. To be dropped or uttered carelessly; as, an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur fell from him.

To fall abroad of (Naut.), to strike against; -- applied to one vessel coming into collision with another.

To fall among, to come among accidentally or unexpectedly.

To fall astern (Naut.), to move or be driven backward; to be left behind; as, a ship falls astern by the force of a current, or when outsailed by another.

To fall away. (a) To lose flesh; to become lean or emaciated; to pine. (b) To renounce or desert allegiance; to revolt or rebel. (c) To renounce or desert the faith; to apostatize. "These . . . for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." --Luke viii. 13. (d) To perish; to vanish; to be lost. "How . . . can the soul . . . fall away into nothing?" --Addison. (e) To decline gradually; to fade; to languish, or become faint. "One color falls away by just degrees, and another rises insensibly." --Addison.

To fall back. (a) To recede or retreat; to give way. (b) To fail of performing a promise or purpose; not to fulfill.

To fall back upon. (a) (Mil.) To retreat for safety to (a stronger position in the rear, as to a fort or a supporting body of troops). (b) To have recourse to (a reserved fund, or some available expedient or support).

To fall calm, to cease to blow; to become calm.

To fall down. (a) To prostrate one's self in worship. "All kings shall fall down before him." --Ps. lxxii. 11. (b) To sink; to come to the ground. "Down fell the beauteous youth." --Dryden. (c) To bend or bow, as a suppliant. (d) (Naut.) To sail or drift toward the mouth of a river or other outlet.

To fall flat, to produce no response or result; to fail of the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat.

To fall foul of. (a) (Naut.) To have a collision with; to become entangled with (b) To attack; to make an assault upon.

To fall from, to recede or depart from; not to adhere to; as, to fall from an agreement or engagement; to fall from allegiance or duty.

To fall from grace (M. E. Ch.), to sin; to withdraw from the faith.

To fall home (Ship Carp.), to curve inward; -- said of the timbers or upper parts of a ship's side which are much within a perpendicular.

To fall in. (a) To sink inwards; as, the roof fell in. (b) (Mil.) To take one's proper or assigned place in line; as, to fall in on the right. (c) To come to an end; to terminate; to lapse; as, on the death of Mr. B., the annuuity, which he had so long received, fell in. (d) To become operative. "The reversion, to which he had been nominated twenty years before, fell in." --Macaulay.

To fall into one's hands, to pass, often suddenly or unexpectedly, into one's ownership or control; as, to spike cannon when they are likely to fall into the hands of the enemy.

To fall in with. (a) To meet with accidentally; as, to fall in with a friend. (b) (Naut.) To meet, as a ship; also, to discover or come near, as land. (c) To concur with; to agree with; as, the measure falls in with popular opinion. (d) To comply; to yield to. "You will find it difficult to persuade learned men to fall in with your projects." --Addison.

To fall off. (a) To drop; as, fruits fall off when ripe. (b) To withdraw; to separate; to become detached; as, friends fall off in adversity. "Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide." --Shak. (c) To perish; to die away; as, words fall off by disuse. (d) To apostatize; to forsake; to withdraw from the faith, or from allegiance or duty.

Those captive tribes . . . fell off From God to worship calves. --Milton. (e) To forsake; to abandon; as, his customers fell off. (f) To depreciate; to change for the worse; to deteriorate; to become less valuable, abundant, or interesting; as, a falling off in the wheat crop; the magazine or the review falls off. "O Hamlet, what a falling off was there!" --Shak. (g) (Naut.) To deviate or trend to the leeward of the point to which the head of the ship was before directed; to fall to leeward.

To fall on. (a) To meet with; to light upon; as, we have fallen on evil days. (b) To begin suddenly and eagerly. "Fall on, and try the appetite to eat." --Dryden. (c) To begin an attack; to assault; to assail. "Fall on, fall on, and hear him not." --Dryden. (d) To drop on; to descend on.

To fall out. (a) To quarrel; to begin to contend.

A soul exasperated in ills falls out With everything, its friend, itself. --Addison. (b) To happen; to befall; to chance. "There fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the mice." --L'Estrange. (c) (Mil.) To leave the ranks, as a soldier.

To fall over. (a) To revolt; to desert from one side to another. (b) To fall beyond. --Shak.

To fall short, to be deficient; as, the corn falls short; they all fall short in duty.

To fall through, to come to nothing; to fail; as, the engageent has fallen through.

To fall to, to begin. "Fall to, with eager joy, on homely food." --Dryden.

To fall under. (a) To come under, or within the limits of; to be subjected to; as, they fell under the jurisdiction of the emperor. (b) To come under; to become the subject of; as, this point did not fall under the cognizance or deliberations of the court; these things do not fall under human sight or observation. (c) To come within; to be ranged or reckoned with; to be subordinate to in the way of classification; as, these substances fall under a different class or order.

To fall upon. (a) To attack. [See To fall on.] (b) To attempt; to have recourse to. "I do not intend to fall upon nice disquisitions." --Holder. (c) To rush against.

Note: Fall primarily denotes descending motion, either in a perpendicular or inclined direction, and, in most of its applications, implies, literally or figuratively, velocity, haste, suddenness, or violence. Its use is so various, and so mush diversified by modifying words, that it is not easy to enumerate its senses in all its applications.

Fall

Fall\, v. t. 1. To let fall; to drop. [Obs.]

For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds. --Shak.

2. To sink; to depress; as, to fall the voice. [Obs.]

3. To diminish; to lessen or lower. [Obs.]

Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities. --Locke.

4. To bring forth; as, to fall lambs. [R.] --Shak.

5. To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]

Fall

Fall\, n. 1. The act of falling; a dropping or descending be the force of gravity; descent; as, a fall from a horse, or from the yard of ship.

2. The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a fall.

3. Death; destruction; overthrow; ruin.

They thy fall conspire. --Denham.

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. --Prov. xvi. 18.

4. Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin; overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire.

Beholds thee glorious only in thy fall. --Pope.

5. The surrender of a besieged fortress or town; as, the fall of Sebastopol.

6. Diminution or decrease in price or value; depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of rents.

7. A sinking of tone; cadence; as, the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence.

8. Declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope.

9. Descent of water; a cascade; a cataract; a rush of water down a precipice or steep; -- usually in the plural, sometimes in the singular; as, the falls of Niagara.

10. The discharge of a river or current of water into the ocean, or into a lake or pond; as, the fall of the Po into the Gulf of Venice. --Addison.

11. Extent of descent; the distance which anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five feet.

12. The season when leaves fall from trees; autumn.

What crowds of patients the town doctor kills, Or how, last fall, he raised the weekly bills. --Dryden.

13. That which falls; a falling; as, a fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow.

14. The act of felling or cutting down. "The fall of timber." --Johnson.

15. Lapse or declension from innocence or goodness. Specifically: The first apostasy; the act of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit; also, the apostasy of the rebellious angels.

16. Formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the neck; a falling band; a faule. --B. Jonson.

17. That part (as one of the ropes) of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.

Fall herring (Zo["o]l.), a herring of the Atlantic (Clupea mediocris); -- also called tailor herring, and hickory shad.

To try a fall, to try a bout at wrestling. --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : fall
Spanish: caer,
German: fallen,
Japanese: 落ちる
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fall  (v.)
O.E. feallan (class VII strong verb; past tense feoll, pp. feallen), from P.Gmc. *fallanan (cf. O.N. falla, O.H.G. fallan), from PIE base *phol- "to fall" (cf. Armenian p'ul "downfall," Lith. puola "to fall," O.Prus. aupallai "finds," lit. "falls upon"). Noun sense of "autumn" (now only in U.S.) is 1664, short for fall of the leaf (1545). That of "cascade, waterfall" is from 1579. Most of the figurative senses had developed in M.E. Meaning "to be reduced" (as temperature) is from 1658. To fall in love is attested from 1530; to fall asleep is 1393. Fall guy is from 1906. Fallout "radioactive particles" is from 1950. Fallen "morally ruined" is from 1628.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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fall

In addition to the idioms beginning with fall, also see bottom drops (falls) out; break one's fall; easy as pie (falling off a log); let drop (fall); let the chips fall where they may; ride for a fall; take the fall.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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