fall

  • verb (past fell; past part. fallen) 1 move rapidly and without control from a higher to a lower level. 2 collapse to the ground. 3 (fall off) become detached and drop to the ground. 4 hang down. 5 (of someone’s face) show dismay or disappointment. 6 be captured or defeated. 7 decrease. 8 pass into a specified state: she fell silent. 9 occur. be classified in the way specified: canals fall within the Minister’s brief. (fall to) become the duty of.

  • noun 1 an act of falling. 2 a downward difference in height between parts of a surface. 3 a thing which falls or has fallen. 4 a waterfall or cascade. 5 a decrease. 6 a defeat or downfall. 7 N. Amer. autumn.

  — PHRASES fall about Brit. informal laugh uncontrollably. fall apart (or to pieces) informal lose one’s capacity to cope. fall back retreat. fall back on have recourse to when in difficulty. fall for informal 1 fall in love with. 2 be deceived by. fall foul (or chiefly N. Amer. afoul) of come into conflict with. fall in (or into) line conform. fall into place begin to make sense. fall in with 1 meet by chance and become involved with. 2 agree to. fall on (or upon) 1 attack fiercely or unexpectedly. 2 (of someone’s eyes or gaze) be directed towards. 3 (of a burden or duty) be borne or incurred by. fall out have an argument. fall over oneself to do informal be excessively eager to do. fall short (of) 1 (of a missile) fail to reach its target. 2 be deficient or inadequate. fall through fail. take the fall N. Amer. informal receive blame or punishment, typically in the place of another.

  — ORIGIN Old English.

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