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1. Dictionary

   Fall

   /fôl/

   

   verb

   • 1. move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level: "five inches of snow fell through the night" Similar dropdrop downplummetdescendcome downgo downplungesinkdivenosedivetumblepitchcascadetechnical:gravitateOpposite rise
   • ▪ hang down: "hair that was allowed to fall to the shoulders"
   • ▪ (of land) slope downward; drop away: "the field fell gently downhill"
   • ▪ (of someone's eyes or glance) be directed downward: "Albert's eyes fell, and he blushed"
   • ▪ (of someone's face) show dismay or disappointment by appearing to sag or droop: "her face fell as she thought about her life with George"
   • 2. (of a person) lose one's balance and collapse: "he stumbled, tripped, and fell" Similar topple overtumble overkeel overfall downfall overgo head over heelsgo end over endfall headlonggo headlongcollapsefall in a heaptake a spillpitch forwardtriptrip overstumblestaggerslipslidecowpinformal:come a croppergo for sixdated:measure one's lengthOpposite get up
   • ▪ throw oneself down, typically in order to worship or implore someone: "they fell on their knees, rendering thanks to God"
   • ▪ (of a tree, building, or other structure) collapse to the ground.
   • 3. decrease in number, amount, intensity, or quality: "imports fell by 12 percent" Similar decreasedeclinediminishfall offdrop offgo downgrow lesslessendwindleplummetplungeslumpsinkfall off a cliffdepreciatedecrease in valuelose valuedecline in pricecheapendevalueinformal:hit the floorgo through the floornosedivetake a nosedivetake a headergo into a tailspincrashOpposite riseincrease
   • ▪ (of a measuring instrument) show a lower reading: "the barometer had fallen a further ten points"
   • 4. be captured or defeated: "the besieged city fell after three months" Similar surrenderyieldsubmitgive ingive upgive waycapitulatesuccumbbe overthrown bybe taken bybe defeated bybe conquered bybe overcome bybe overwhelmed bylose one's position topass into the hands offall victim toOpposite resist
   • ▪ die in battle: "an English leader who had fallen at the hands of the Danes" Similar diebe killedbe slainbe a casualtybe a fatalitybe lostlose one's lifeperishdrop deadmeet one's endmeet one's deathinformal:bite the dustcroakbuy itsnuff itpeg outbite the big onearchaic:decease
   • ▪ (of a government or leader) lose office or be overthrown: "six months later the government fell as a result of mass strikes" Similar surrenderyieldsubmitgive ingive upgive waycapitulatesuccumbbe overthrown bybe taken bybe defeated bybe conquered bybe overcome bybe overwhelmed bylose one's position topass into the hands offall victim toOpposite resist
   • ▪ commit sin; yield to temptation: archaic "it is their husbands' fault if wives do fall"
   • 5. pass into a specified state, situation, or position: "she fell pregnant" Similar becomecome/get to begrowgetturn
   • ▪ occur or take place: "when night fell we managed to crawl back to our lines" Similar occurtake placehappencome aboutcome to passcomearriveappearoccurarisematerialize
   • ▪ be classified or ordered in the way specified: "canals fall within the Minister's brief"

   noun

   • 1. an act of falling or collapsing; a sudden uncontrollable descent: "his mother had a fall, hurting her leg as she alighted from a train" Similar tumbletripspilltopplestumbleslipcollapseinformal:nosediveheadercropper
   • ▪ a controlled act of falling, especially as a stunt or in martial arts: "rolling properly into a fall minimizes hurt"
   • ▪ a move which pins the opponent's shoulders on the ground for a count of three.
   • ▪ a state of hanging or drooping downward: "the fall of her hair"
   • ▪ a downward difference in height between parts of a surface: "at the corner of the massif this fall is interrupted by other heights of considerable stature" Similar descentdeclivityslopedownward slopedownward slantinclinedowngradeOpposite ascent
   • ▪ a sudden onset or arrival as if by dropping: "the fall of darkness"
   • 2. a thing which falls or has fallen: "in October came the first thin fall of snow"
   • ▪ a waterfall or cascade: "we camped upriver from the falls" Similar waterfallcascadecataractchutetorrentrapidswhite waterforcearchaic:linn
   • ▪ a downward turn in a melody: literary "that strain again, it had a dying fall"
   • ▪ the parts or petals of a flower that bend downward, especially the outer perianth segments of an iris.
   • 3. a decrease in size, number, rate, or level; a decline: "a big fall in unemployment" Similar declinefalloffdropdropping offdecreasecutlesseningloweringdipdiminishingdwindlingreductionplummetplungeslumpdeteriorationdownswinginformal:nosedivecrashletupOpposite increase
   • 4. a defeat or downfall: "the fall of the Roman Empire" Similar downfallruinruinationcollapsefailuredeclinedeteriorationdegenerationdestructionoverthrowdemisesurrendersurrenderingcapitulationyieldinggiving insubmissionacquiescencesuccumbingresignationlaying down of armsdefeatOpposite rise
   • ▪ a person's moral descent, typically through succumbing to temptation.
   • ▪ the lapse of humankind into a state of sin, ascribed in traditional Jewish and Christian theology to the disobedience of Adam and Eve as described in Genesis. Similar sinsinningwrongdoingtransgressionerroryielding to temptationoffenselapsefall from gracebackslidingoriginal sin
   • 5. autumn: North American "that fall Roosevelt was elected to his first term"

   Word Origin Old Englishfallan, feallan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vallen and German fallen; the noun is partly from the verb, partly from Old Norse fall ‘downfall, sin’.

   Scrabble Points: 7

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2. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › fallFall - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › fall

   Definitions of fall. verb. descend in free fall under the influence of gravity. “The branch fell from the tree” “The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse” synonyms: come down, precipitate. fall from clouds. see more. verb. move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way. “The barometer is falling ” “The curtain fell on the diva”

3. www.dictionary.com › browse › fallFALL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › fall

   • Cached

   noun. an act or instance of falling or dropping from a higher to a lower place or position. that which falls or drops: a heavy fall of rain. the season of the year that comes after summer and before winter; autumn.

4. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishFALL | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

   • Cached

   to become worse, or start to be in a bad situation or condition: Education standards are continuing to fall. Empty for 30 years, the building had fallen into ruin (= become very damaged). fall asleep/ill/still, etc. B1. to start to sleep / become sick / become quiet, etc: I fell asleep on the sofa watching TV. darkness/night falls literary.

5. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishFALL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   5 days ago · You can use fall to show that someone or something passes into another state. For example, if someone falls ill, they become ill, and if something falls into disrepair, it is then in a state of disrepair.

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › fallFall - definition of fall by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › fall

   • Cached

   1. To drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity: Leaves fell from the tree. 2. a. To drop oneself to a lower or less erect position: I fell back in my chair. The pilgrims fell to their knees. b. To lose an upright or erect position suddenly: tripped and fell. c. To drop wounded or dead, especially in battle. 3. a.

7. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishfall verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Definition of fall verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

8. www.britannica.com › dictionary › fallFall Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

   www.britannica.com › dictionary › fall

   • Cached

   FALL meaning: 1 : to come or go down quickly from a high place or position; 2 : to come or go down suddenly from a standing position often + down or over