What does FALL mean?
Definitions for FALL
fɔlfall
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word FALL.
Princeton's WordNet
fall, autumnnoun
the season when the leaves fall from the trees
"in the fall of 1973"
spill, tumble, fallnoun
a sudden drop from an upright position
"he had a nasty spill on the ice"
Fallnoun
the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve
"women have been blamed ever since the Fall"
descent, declivity, fall, decline, declination, declension, downslopenoun
a downward slope or bend
fallnoun
a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity
"a fall from virtue"
fall, downfallnoun
a sudden decline in strength or number or importance
"the fall of the House of Hapsburg"
fallnoun
a movement downward
"the rise and fall of the tides"
capitulation, fall, surrendernoun
the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions)
"they were protected until the capitulation of the fort"
twilight, dusk, gloaming, gloam, nightfall, evenfall, fall, crepuscule, crepusclenoun
the time of day immediately following sunset
"he loved the twilight"; "they finished before the fall of night"
fall, pinnoun
when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat
drop, fallnoun
a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity
"it was a miracle that he survived the drop from that height"
drop, dip, fall, free fallverb
a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity
"a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index"; "there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery"; "a dip in prices"; "when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall"
fallverb
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
"The branch fell from the tree"; "The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse"
descend, fall, go down, come downverb
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
"The temperature is going down"; "The barometer is falling"; "The curtain fell on the diva"; "Her hand went up and then fell again"
fallverb
pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind
"fall into a trap"; "She fell ill"; "They fell out of favor"; "Fall in love"; "fall asleep"; "fall prey to an imposter"; "fall into a strange way of thinking"; "she fell to pieces after she lost her work"
fall, comeverb
come under, be classified or included
"fall into a category"; "This comes under a new heading"
precipitate, come down, fallverb
fall from clouds
"rain, snow and sleet were falling"; "Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum"
fallverb
suffer defeat, failure, or ruin
"We must stand or fall"; "fall by the wayside"
fallverb
die, as in battle or in a hunt
"Many soldiers fell at Verdun"; "Several deer have fallen to the same gun"; "The shooting victim fell dead"
fall, shine, strikeverb
touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly
"Light fell on her face"; "The sun shone on the fields"; "The light struck the golden necklace"; "A strange sound struck my ears"
fallverb
be captured
"The cities fell to the enemy"
fallverb
occur at a specified time or place
"Christmas falls on a Monday this year"; "The accent falls on the first syllable"
decrease, diminish, lessen, fallverb
decrease in size, extent, or range
"The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
fallverb
yield to temptation or sin
"Adam and Eve fell"
fallverb
lose office or power
"The government fell overnight"; "The Qing Dynasty fell with Sun Yat-sen"
fallverb
to be given by assignment or distribution
"The most difficult task fell on the youngest member of the team"; "The onus fell on us"; "The pressure to succeed fell on the youngest student"
fallverb
move in a specified direction
"The line of men fall forward"
fallverb
be due
"payments fall on the 1st of the month"
fallverb
lose one's chastity
"a fallen woman"
fallverb
to be given by right or inheritance
"The estate fell to the oldest daughter"
accrue, fallverb
come into the possession of
"The house accrued to the oldest son"
fall, lightverb
fall to somebody by assignment or lot
"The task fell to me"; "It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims"
fall, return, pass, devolveverb
be inherited by
"The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead"
fallverb
slope downward
"The hills around here fall towards the ocean"
fall, fall downverb
lose an upright position suddenly
"The vase fell over and the water spilled onto the table"; "Her hair fell across her forehead"
fallverb
drop oneself to a lower or less erect position
"She fell back in her chair"; "He fell to his knees"
hang, fall, flowverb
fall or flow in a certain way
"This dress hangs well"; "Her long black hair flowed down her back"
fallverb
assume a disappointed or sad expression
"Her face fell when she heard that she would be laid off"; "his crest fell"
fallverb
be cast down
"his eyes fell"
fallverb
come out; issue
"silly phrases fell from her mouth"
fallverb
be born, used chiefly of lambs
"The lambs fell in the afternoon"
fallverb
begin vigorously
"The prisoners fell to work right away"
fallverb
go as if by falling
"Grief fell from our hearts"
fall, descend, settleverb
come as if by falling
"Night fell"; "Silence fell"
Wiktionary
fallnoun
The act of moving in a fluid or vacuum under the effect of gravity to a lower position.
fallnoun
A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc.
fallnoun
autumn.
fallnoun
A loss of greatness or status.
the fall of Rome
fallnoun
The action of a batsman being out.
fallnoun
A defect in the ice which causes stones thrown into an area to drift in a given direction
fallnoun
Blame or punishment for a failure or misdeed.
He set up his rival to take the fall.
fallnoun
The part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.
fallnoun
See falls
fallverb
To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
Thrown from a cliff, the stone fell 100 feet before hitting the ground.
fallverb
To come down, to drop or descend.
The rain fell at dawn.
fallverb
To come to the ground deliberately, to prostrate oneself.
He fell to the floor and begged for mercy.
fallverb
To be brought to the ground.
fallverb
To collapse; to be overthrown or defeated.
Rome fell to the Goths in 410 AD.
fallverb
To die, especially in battle.
This is a monument to all those who fell in the First World War.
fallverb
To be allotted to; to arrive through chance or fate.
And so it falls to me to make this important decision.
fallverb
To become lower (in quantity, pitch, etc).
The candidate's poll ratings fell abruptly after the banking scandal.
fallverb
To become; to be affected by or befallen with a calamity; to change into the state described by words following; to become prostrated literally or figuratively .
Our senator fell into disrepute because of the banking scandal.
fallverb
To become.
She has fallen ill.
fallverb
To cause something to descend to the ground (to drop it); especially to cause a tree to descend to the ground by cutting it down (felling it).
Fallnoun
The sudden fall of humanity into a state of sin, as brought about by the transgression of Adam and Eve.
Fallnoun
The time of the year when the leaves typically fall from the trees; autumn; the season of the year between the autumnal equinox in late September to the winter solstice in late December.
Etymology: From fallen, from feallan, from fallanan, from pōl-. Cognate with falle, vallen, fallen, falla, pulti, σφάλλω.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Fallnoun
Etymology: from the verb.
High o’er their heads a mould ring rock is plac’d,
That promises a fall, and shakes at ev’ry blast. John Dryden, Æn.I saw him run after a gilded butterfly; and when he caught it, he let it go again, and after it again; and over and over he comes, and up again, and caught it again; or whether his fall enraged him, or how it was, he did so set his teeth, and did tear it. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.
My son coming into his marriage-chamber, happened to have a fall, and died. 2 Esdr. x. 48.
Spirit of wine, mingled with common water, if the first fall be broken, by means of a sop, or otherwise, stayeth above; and if once mingled, it severeth not again, as oil doth. Francis Bacon, Phys. Rem.
A fever or fall may take away my reason. John Locke.
Some were hurt with the falls they got by leaping upon the ground. Gulliver’s Travels.
Wail his fall,
Whom I myself struck down. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.Our fathers were given to the sword, and for a spoil, and had a great fall before our enemies. Judith viii. 9.
I will begin to pray for myself and for them; for I see the falls of us that dwell in the land. 2 Esdr. viii. 17.
Paul’s, the late theme of such a muse, whose flight
Has bravely reach’d and soar’d above thy height;
Now shalt thou stand, though sword, or time, or fire,
Or zeal more fierce than they, thy fall conspire. John Denham.Her memory served as an accuser of her change, and her own handwriting was there to bear testimony against her fall. Philip Sidney, b. ii.
Perhaps thou talk’st of me, and do’st enquire
Of my restraint; why here I live alone;
And pitiest this my miserable fall. Samuel Daniel, Civil War.He, careless now of int’rest, fame, or fate,
Perhaps forgets that Oxford e’er was great;
Or deeming meanest what we greatest call,
Beholds thee glorious only in thy fall. Alexander Pope, to Parnel.’Till the empire came to be settled in Charles the Great, the fall of the Romans huge dominion concurring with other universal evils, caused those times to be days of much affliction and trouble throughout the world. Richard Hooker, b. v. s. 41.
That the improvement of Ireland is the principal cause why our lands in purchase rise not, as naturally they should, with the fall of our interest, appears evidently from the effect the fall of interest hath had upon houses in London. Josiah Child.
That strain again; it had a dying fall:
O, it came o’er my ear, like the sweet South
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odours. William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night.How sweetly did they float upon the wings
Of silence, through the empty-vaulted night,
At ev’ry fall smoothing the raven down
Of darkness ’till it smil’d! John Milton.Waters when beat upon the shore, or straitned, as the falls of bridges, or dashed against themselves by winds, give a roaring noise. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 115.
There will we sit upon the rocks,
And see the shepherds feed their flocks
By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals. William Shakespeare.A whistling wind, or a melodious noise of birds among the spreading branches, or a pleasing fall of water running violently, these things made them to swoon for fear. Wisd. xvii.
Down through the crannies of the living walls
The crystal streams descend in murm’ring falls. John Dryden, Virg.The swain, in barren deserts, with surprize
Sees lilies spring, and sudden verdure rise;
And starts, amidst the thirsty wilds, to hear
New falls of water murm’ring in his ear. Alexander Pope, Messiah.Now under hanging mountains,
Beside the falls of fountains,
He makes his moan;
And calls her ghost,
For ever, ever, ever lost! Alexander Pope, St. Cecilia.Before the fall of the Po into the gulph, it receives into its channel the most considerable rivers of Piedmont, Milan, and the rest of Lombardy. Joseph Addison, Remarks on Italy.
What crowds of patients the town-doctor kills,
Or how last fall he rais’d the weekly bills. John Dryden, Juven.Upon a great fall of rain the current carried away a huge heap of apples. Roger L'Estrange.
To Fallverb
To-morrow in the battle think on me,
And fall thy edgeless sword, despair and die. William Shakespeare, Rich. III.If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears,
Each drop, she falls, would prove a crocodile. William Shakespeare, Othello.Draw together;
And when I rear my hand, do you the like,
To fall it on Gonzalo. William Shakespeare, Tempest.I am willing to fall this argument: ’tis free for every man to write or not to write in verse, as he thinks it is or is not his talent, or as he imagines the audience will receive it. Dryd.
If a man would endeavour to raise or fall his voice still by half notes, like the stops of a lute, or by whole notes alone without halfs, as far as an eight, he will not be able to frame his voice unto it. Francis Bacon, Natural History.
Upon lessening interest to four per cent. you fall the price of your native commodities, or lessen your trade, or else prevent not the high use John Locke.
They then conceiving, did in yeaning time
Fall party-colour’d lambs, and those were Jacob’s. William Shakespeare.To FALLverb
pret. I fell; compound pret. I have fallen, or faln.
Etymology: feallan , Saxon; fallen, German.
Thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence. Deut.
I was walking in the open fields ’till the night insensibly fell upon me. Spectator, №. 565.
I shall fall
Like a bright exhalation in the evening,
And no man see me more. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.Saul fell all along on the earth. 1 Sa. xxviii. 20.
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. Judg. v. 27.
That is a step,
On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap;
For in my way it lies. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.His chains fell off from his hands. Acts xii. 7.
All liquid bodies are diffusive; for their parts being in motion, have no connexion one with another, but glide and fall off any way, as gravity and the air presseth them. Burnet.
As the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree. Is. xxxiv. 4.
Cæsar therefore gave orders to build his gallies on the Loir, and the rivers that fall into it. John Arbuthnot, on Coins.
Birds and fowls that rest one foot to ease the other, naturally lay their heads under their wings, that the center of gravity may fall upon the foot they stand on. George Cheyne, Phil. Princ.
Labour to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Heb. iv. 11.
They brought scandal
To Israel, diffidence of God, and doubt
In feeble hearts, propense enough before
To waver or fall off, and join with idols. John Milton, Agonist.Whether some spirit on holy purpose bent,
Or some fall’n angel from below broke loose,
Who comes with envious eyes, and curst intent,
To view this world and its created Lord. Dryden.God and good angels fight on Richmond’s side,
And Richard fall in height of all his pride. William Shakespeare, Rich. III.If one should be a prey, how much the better
To fall before the lion than the wolf! William Shakespeare.What other oath,
Than honesty to honesty engag’d?
That this shall be, or we will fall for it. William Shakespeare, Jul. Cæsar.A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Ps. xci. 7.
Ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Lev. xxvi. 7.
They not obeying,
Incurr’d, what could they less? the penalty;
And manifold in sin, deserv’d to fall. John Milton, Parad. Lost.Almon falls, old Tyrrheus’ eldest care,
Pierc’d with an arrow from the distant war. John Dryden, Æn.The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished, when their oppressions and extortions were taken away. Davies.
He first the fate of Cæsar did foretell,
And pity’d Rome, when Rome in Cæsar fell;
In iron clouds conceal’d the publick light,
And impious mortals fear’d eternal night. John Dryden, Virg. Geor.They shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down. Jer. vi. 15.
What can be their business
With a poor weak woman fall’n from favour! William Shakespeare, H. VIII.What men could do,
Is done already: heaven and earth will witness,
If Rome must fall, that we are innocent. Joseph Addison, Cato.He fell at difference with Ludovico Sfortia, who carried the keys which brought him in, and shut him out. Francis Bacon, H. VII.
Some of the ablest painters taking precepts in too literal a sense, have fallen thereby into great inconveniencies. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.
These, by obtruding the beginning of a change for the entire work of new life, will fall under the former guilt. Henry Hammond.
One would wonder how so many learned men could fall into so great an absurdity, as to believe this river could preserve itself unmixt with the lake. Joseph Addison, on Italy.
The best men generally fall under the severest pressures. William Wake, Preparation for Death.
From the pound weight, as Pliny tells us, the as fell to two ounces in the first Punick war: when Hannibal invaded Italy, to one ounce; then, by the Papirian law, to half an ounce. John Arbuthnot, on Coins.
When the price of corn falleth, men generally break no more ground than will supply their own turn. Carew.
But now her price is fall’n. William Shakespeare, King Lear.
His rents will fall, and his income every day lessen, ’till industry and frugality, joined to a well ordered trade, shall restore to the kingdom the riches it had formerly. John Locke.
The greatness of an estate, in bulk and territory, doth fall under measure; and the greatness of finances and revenue doth fall under computation. Francis Bacon, Essay 30.
This book must stand or fall with thee; not by any opinion I have of it, but thy own. John Locke.
He was stirr’d,
And something spoke in choler, ill and hasty;
But he fell to himself again, and sweetly
In all the rest shew’d a most noble patience. William Shakespeare, H. VIII.At length her fury fell, her foaming ceas’d;
And ebbing in her soul, the god decreas’d. John Dryden, Æn.In sweet musick is such art,
Killing care and grief of heart,
Fall asleep, or hearing die. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.Solyman, chased with the loss of his gallies and best soldiers, and with the double injury done unto him by the Venetians, fell into such a rage that he cursed Barbarossa. Richard Knolles.
When about twenty, upon the falseness of a lover, she fell distracted. William Temple.
A spark like thee, of the man-killing trade,
Fell sick; and thus to his physician said:
Methinks I am not right in ev’ry part,
I feel a kind of trembling at my heart;
My pulse unequal, and my breath is strong;
Besides a filthy furr upon my tongue. John Dryden, Pers. Sat.And have you known none in health who have pitied you; and behold, they are gone before you, even since you fell into this distemper? William Wake, Preparation for Death.
He died calmly, and with all the easiness of a man falling asleep. Francis Atterbury.
Portius himself oft falls in tears before me,
As if he mourn’d his rival’s ill success. Joseph Addison, Cato.For as his own bright image he survey’d,
He fell in love with the fantastick shade. Joseph Addison, Ovid. Met.I fell in love with the character of Pomponius Atticus: I longed to imitate him. Edward Blount, to Pope.
If thou persuade thyself that they shall not be taken, let not thy countenance fall: I have spoken it, and none of my words shall be in vain. Judith vi. 9.
If you have any other request to make, hide it not; for ye shall find we will not make your countenance to fall by the answer ye shall receive. Francis Bacon, New Atlantis.
Syphax, I joy to meet thee thus alone;
I have observ’d of late thy looks are fallen,
O’ercast with gloomy cares and discontent. Joseph Addison, Cato.Fame of thy beauty and thy youth,
Among the rest, me hither brought:
Finding this fame fall short of truth,
Made me stay longer than I thought. Edmund Waller.For such things as do fall scarce once in many ages, it did suffice to take such orders as was requisite when they fell. Hook.
Oft it falls out, that while one thinks too much of his doing, he leaves to do the effect of this thinking. Philip Sidney, b. i.
A long advertent and deliberate connexing of consequents, which falls not in the common road of ordinary men. Matthew Hale.
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content and seek no new. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.If the worst fall that ever fell, I hope, I shall make shift to go without him. William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice.
O, how feeble is man’s power,
That if good fortune fall,
Cannot add another hour,
Nor a lost hour recall! John Donne.Since both cannot possess what both pursue,
I’m griev’d, my friend, the chance should fall on you. Dry.I had more leisure, and disposition, than have since fallen to my share. Jonathan Swift.
I have two boys
Seek Percy and thyself about the field;
But seeing thou fall’st on me so luckily,
I will assay thee. William Shakespeare, Henry VI. p. i.The Romans fell upon this model by chance, but the Spartans by thought and design. Jonathan Swift.
The odd hours at the end of the solar year, are not indeed fully fix, but are deficient 10’ 44’’; which deficiency, in 134 years, collected, amounts to a whole day: and hence may be seen the reason why the vernal equinox, which at the time of the Nicene council fell upon the 21st of March, falls now about ten days sooner. William Holder, on Time.
It does not fall within my subject to lay down the rules of odes. Henry Felton, on the Classicks.
I am fallen upon the mention of mercuries. Boyle.
It happened this evening that we fell into a very pleasing walk, at a distance from his house. Joseph Addison, Spectator.
The king understanding of their adventure, suddenly falls to take pride in making much of them with infinite praises. Philip Sidney, b. ii.
Each of us fell in praise of our country mistresses. William Shakespeare.
And the mixt multitude fell a lusting. Num. ii. 4.
It is better to found a person afar off, than to fall upon the point at first; except you mean to surprize him by some short question. Francis Bacon, Essay 48.
When a horse is hungry, and comes to a good pasture, he falls to his food immediately. Matthew Hale, Origin of Mankind.
They fell to blows, insomuch that the Argonauts slew the most part of the Deliones, with their king Cyzicus. Roger L'Estrange.
We must immediately fall into our subject, and treat every part of it in a lively manner. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 124.
There fell wrath for it against Israel. 2 Chron. xv. 9.
The stout bishop could not well brook that his province should fall into their hands. Richard Knolles, History of the Turks.
Ulysses let no partial favours fall,
The people’s parent, he protected all. Alexander Pope, Odyssey, b. iv.Some expressions fell from him, not very favourable to the people of Ireland. Jonathan Swift.
Fear fell on them all. Acts xix. 17.
A kind refreshing sleep is fallen upon him:
I saw him stretcht at ease, his fancy lost
In pleasing dreams. Joseph Addison, Cato.All the lands, which will fall to her majesty thereabouts, are large enough to contain them. Edmund Spenser, on Ireland.
If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,
Preferment falls on him that cuts him off. William Shakespeare, K. Lear.Then 'tis most like
The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.After the flood, arts to Chaldea fell;
The father of the faithful there did dwell,
Who both their parent and instructor was. John Denham.You shall see a great estate fall to you, which you would have lost the relish of, had you known yourself born to it. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 123.
If to her share some female errours fall,
Look on her face, and you'll forget them all. Alexander Pope.In their spiritual and temporal courts the labour falls to their vicars general, secretaries, proctors, apparitors and seneschals. Jonathan Swift, Considerations on two Bills.
Their hopes or fears for the common cause rose or fell with your lordship's interest. Joseph Addison, Remarks on Italy.
Lambs must have care taken of them at their first falling, else, while they are weak, the crows and magpies will be apt to pick out their eyes. John Mortimer, Husbandry.
Watery vegetables are proper, and fish rather than flesh: in a Lent diet people commonly fall away. John Arbuthnot, on Diet.
The fugitives fell away to the king of babylon. 2 Kings xxv.
These for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. Luke viii. 13.
Say not thou it is through the Lord that I fell away; for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth. Ecclus. xv.
The old giants fell away in the strength of their foolishness. Ecclus. xvi.
Still propagate; for still they fall away;
'Tis prudence to prevent th' entire decay. John Dryden, Virg. Geo.How can it enter into the thoughts of man, that the soul, which is capable of such immense perfections, and of receiving new improvement to all eternity, shall fall away into nothing, almost as soon as it is created? Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 111.
In a curious brede of needlework one colour falls away by such just degrees, and another rises so insensibly, that we see the variety, without being able to distinguish the total vanishing of the one from the first appearance of the other. Addison.
We have often fallen back from our resolutions. Taylor.
All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him. Ps. lxxii. 11.
Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? Is. xliv. 19.
As she was speaking, she fell down for faintness. Esth. xv.
Down fell the beauteous youth; the yawning wound
Gush'd out a purple stream, and stain'd the ground. Dryden.They shall fall down unto thee; they shall make supplication unto thee. Is. xlv. 14.
Clarence
Is very likely now to fall from him. William Shakespeare, Henry VI.The emperor being much solicited by the Scots not to be a help to ruin their kingdom, fell by degrees from the king of England. John Hayward.
Objections fall in here, and are the clearest and most convincing arguments of the truth. John Woodward, Nat. History.
His reasonings in this chapter seem to fall in with each other; yet, upon a closer examination, we shall find them proposed with great variety and distinction. Francis Atterbury.
Any single paper that falls in with the popular taste, and pleases more than ordinary, brings one in a great return of letters. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 482.
When the war was begun, there soon fell in other incidents at home, which made the continuance of it necessary. Jonathan Swift.
Our fine young ladies readily fall in with the direction of the graver sort. Spectator, №. 536.
It is a double misfortune to a nation, which is thus given to change, when they have a sovereign that is prone to fall in with all the turns and veerings of the people. Joseph Addison, Freeh.
You will find it difficult to persuade learned men to fall in with your projects. Joseph Addison, on ancient Medals.
That prince applied himself first to the church of England; and, upon their refusal to fall in with his measures, made the like advances to the dissenters. Jonathan Swift.
Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide; in cities, mutinies; in countries, discord. William Shakespeare, King Lear.
Languages need recruits to supply the place of those words that are continually falling off through disuse. Henry Felton.
Oh, Hamlet, what a falling off was there! William Shakespeare, Haml.
Revolted Mortimer?
—He never did fall off,
my sovereign liege, But by the chance of war. William Shakespeare, Henry IV. p. i.They, accustomed to afford at other times either silence or short assent to what he did purpose, did then fall off and forsake him. John Hayward.
What cause
Mov'd our grand parents, in that happy state,
Favour'd of heav'n so highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his will? John Milton, P. Lost.As for those captive tribes, themselves
Who wrought their own captivity, fell off
From God to worship calves. John Milton, Paradise Lost.Were I always grave, one half of my readers would fall off from me. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 179.
Some coarse cold sallad is before thee set;
Bread with the bran perhaps, and broken meat;
Fall on, and try thy appetite to eat. John Dryden, Pers. Sat.They fell on, I made good my place: at length they came to th' broomstaff with me; I defied 'em still. William Shakespeare, Hen. VIII.
Fall on, fall on, and hear him not;
But spare his person for his father's sake. John Dryden, Span. Fryar.Draw all; and when I give the word fall on. Oedipus.
He pretends, amongst the rest, to quarrel with me, to have fallen foul on priesthood. John Dryden, Fables, Pref.
And do'st thou now fall over to my foes?
Thou wear a lion's hide! doff it, for shame,
And hang a calve's skin on those recreant limbs. William Shakespeare, K. John.Little needed those proofs to one who would have fallen out with herself, rather than make any conjectures to Zelmane's speeches. Sidney, b. ii.
How fell you out, say that?
—No contraries hold more antipathy,
Than I and such a knave. William Shakespeare, King Lear.Meeting her of late behind the wood,
Seeking sweet favours for this hateful fool,
I did upbraid her: and fall out with her. William Shakespeare.The cedar, by the instigation of the loyalists, fell out with the homebians: who had elected him to be their king. James Howell.
A soul exasperated in ills, falls out
With every thing, its friend, itself. Joseph Addison, Cato.It has been my misfortune to live among quarrelsome neighbours: there is but one thing can make us fall out, and that is the inheritance of lord Strut's estate. John Arbuthnot, John Bull.
Who think you is my Dorus fallen out to be? Philip Sidney.
Now, for the most part, it so falleth out, touching things which generally are received, that although in themselves they be most certain, yet, because men presume them granted of all, we are hardliest able to bring proof of their certainty. Richard Hooker.
It so fell out, that certain players
We o'er-rode on the way; of those we told him. William Shakespeare.Yet so it may fall out, because their end
Is hate, not help to me. John Milton, Agonistes.There fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the mice. Roger L'Estrange, Fable 41.
If it so fall out that thou art miserable for ever, thou hast no reason to be surprised, as if some unexpected thing had happened. John Tillotson, Sermon 5.
The men were fashion'd in a larger mould,
The women fit for labour, big and bold;
Gigantick hinds, as soon as work was done,
To their huge pots of boiling pulse would run;
Fall to, with eager joy, on homely food. John Dryden, Juven.They would needs fall to the practice of those virtues which they before learned. Sidney, b. ii.
I know thee not, old man; fall to thy prayers:
How ill white hairs become a fool and jester! William Shakespeare, H. IV.Having been brought up an idle horseboy, he will never after fall to labour; but is only made fit for the halter. Edmund Spenser.
They fell to raising money under pretence of the relief of Ireland. Edward Hyde.
My lady falls to play: so bad her chance,
He must repair it. Alexander Pope, Epist.We know the effects of heat will be such as will scarce fall under the conceit of man, if the force of it be altogether kept in. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 99.
Those things which are wholly in the choice of another, fall under our deliberation. Jeremy Taylor, Rule of living holy.
The idea of the painter and the sculptor is undoubtedly that perfect and excellent example of the mind, by imitation of which imagined form all things are represented, which fall under human sight. John Dryden, Dufresnoy.
No rules that relate to pastoral can affect the Georgicks, which fall under that class of poetry which consists in giving plain instructions to the reader. Joseph Addison, on the Georgicks.
Auria falling upon these gallies, had with them a cruel and deadly fight. Richard Knolles.
An infection in a town first falls upon children, weak constitutions, or those that are subject to other diseases; but, spreading further, seizes upon the most healthy. William Temple.
Man falls upon every thing that comes in his way; not a berry or a mushrome can escape him. Joseph Addison, Spectator.
To get rid of fools and scoundrels was one part of my design in falling upon these authors. Alexander Pope, to Swift.
I do not intend to fall upon nice philosophical disquisitions about the nature of time. William Holder, on Time.
At the same time that the storm bears upon the whole species, we are falling foul upon one another. Joseph Addison, Spectator.
Wikipedia
fall
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere). Autumn is the season when the duration of daylight becomes noticeably shorter and the temperature cools considerably. Day length decreases and night length increases as the season progresses until the Winter Solstice in December (Northern Hemisphere) and June (Southern Hemisphere). One of its main features in temperate climates is the striking change in colour for the leaves of deciduous trees as they prepare to shed.
ChatGPT
fall
Fall is the season that occurs between summer and winter, characterized by cooler temperatures, shorter days, and the shedding of leaves from trees. It is a time of transition and is often associated with the harvest, changing colors of foliage, and the start of school.
Webster Dictionary
Fallverb
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
Fallverb
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
Fallverb
to find a final outlet; to discharge its waters; to empty; -- with into; as, the river Rhone falls into the Mediterranean
Fallverb
to become prostrate and dead; to die; especially, to die by violence, as in battle
Fallverb
to cease to be active or strong; to die away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the wind falls
Fallverb
to issue forth into life; to be brought forth; -- said of the young of certain animals
Fallverb
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
Fallverb
to be overthrown or captured; to be destroyed
Fallverb
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
Fallverb
to become insnared or embarrassed; to be entrapped; to be worse off than before; asm to fall into error; to fall into difficulties
Fallverb
to assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; -- said of the countenance
Fallverb
to sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our fortunes
Fallverb
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
Fallverb
to happen; to to come to pass; to light; to befall; to issue; to terminate
Fallverb
to come; to occur; to arrive
Fallverb
to begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows
Fallverb
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
Fallverb
to belong or appertain
Fallverb
to be dropped or uttered carelessly; as, an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur fell from him
Fallverb
to let fall; to drop
Fallverb
to sink; to depress; as, to fall the voice
Fallverb
to diminish; to lessen or lower
Fallverb
to bring forth; as, to fall lambs
Fallverb
to fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree
Fallnoun
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
Fallnoun
the act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a fall
Fallnoun
death; destruction; overthrow; ruin
Fallnoun
downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin; overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire
Fallnoun
the surrender of a besieged fortress or town ; as, the fall of Sebastopol
Fallnoun
diminution or decrease in price or value; depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of rents
Fallnoun
a sinking of tone; cadence; as, the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence
Fallnoun
declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope
Fallnoun
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
Fallnoun
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
Fallnoun
extent of descent; the distance which anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five feet
Fallnoun
the season when leaves fall from trees; autumn
Fallnoun
that which falls; a falling; as, a fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow
Fallnoun
the act of felling or cutting down
Fallnoun
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
Fallnoun
formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the neck; a falling band; a faule
Fallnoun
that part (as one of the ropes) of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting
Etymology: [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.]
Wikidata
Fall
Fall is the title of American country music singer Clay Walker's ninth album. It was released April 17, 2007, on Asylum-Curb Records. The album's first single was "'Fore She Was Mama", which reached #21 on the Hot Country Songs charts in mid-2007. Following this song was the title track, which reached #5 on the same chart and became Walker's first Top Five country hit since "The Chain of Love" in 2000. "Fall" was also covered by Kimberley Locke, whose own version was a single as well. The third and final single from this album, "She Likes It in the Morning", peaked at #43. Also included is a cover of Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls", recorded here as a duet with Fender. This cover is also Walker's first duet.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Fall
fawl, v.i. to drop down: to descend by the force of gravity: to become prostrate: (of a river) to discharge itself: to slope down: to sink as if dead: to vanish: to die away: to lose strength, subside: to decline in power, wealth, value, or reputation: to be overthrown: to be compelled to yield: to become downcast: to sink into sin, to yield to temptation: to depart from the faith: to become dejected: to pass gently into any state, as 'to fall in love,' 'to fall asleep:' to befall: to issue, occur: to enter upon with haste or vehemence: to rush: to be dropped in birth: to be required or necessary: to fall away:—pr.p. fall′ing; pa.t. fell; pa.p. fallen (faw′ln).—n. the act of falling, in any of its senses: descent by gravity, a dropping down: that which falls—a trap-door, &c.: as much as comes down at one time, as 'a fall of snow,' &c.: overthrow: death: descent from a better to a worse position: slope or declivity: descent of water: a cascade: length of a fall: outlet of a river: decrease in value: a sinking of the voice: the time when the leaves fall, autumn: a bout at wrestling: the yielding of a city or stronghold to the enemy: that which falls: a lapse into sin, esp. that of Adam and Eve, called 'the Fall:' a kind of collar worn in the 17th century.—adj. Fall′en, in a degraded state, ruined.—ns. Fall′ing, that which falls; Fall′ing-band (see Band); Fall′ing-sick′ness, epilepsy; Fall′ing-star, a meteor; Fall′ing-stone, a portion of an exploded meteor; Fall′trank, a medicine compounded of certain aromatic and astringent Swiss plants, of repute for accidents; Fall′-trap, a trap which operates by falling.—Fall-a, to begin; Fall across, to meet by chance; Fall among, to come into the midst of; Fall away, to decline gradually, to languish: to grow lean: to revolt or apostatise; Fall back, to retreat, give way; Fall back, fall edge, no matter what may happen; Fall back upon, to have recourse to some expedient or resource in reserve; Fall behind, to slacken, to be outstripped; Fall flat, to fail completely, as a shopman in attracting attention or purchasers, a new book, &c.; Fall foul, to come in collision: to quarrel (with of); Fall in (with), to concur or agree: to comply: to place themselves in order, as soldiers; Fall off, to separate or be broken: to die away, to perish: to revolt or apostatise; Fall on, to begin eagerly: to make an attack: to meet; Fall on one's feet, to come well out of a difficulty, to gain any unexpected good fortune; Fall out, to quarrel: to happen or befall; Fall over (Shak.), to go over to the enemy; Fall short, to be deficient (with of); Fall through, to fail, come to nothing; Fall to, to begin hastily and eagerly: to apply one's self to; Fall upon, to attack: to attempt: to rush against.—Try a fall, to take a bout at wrestling. [A.S. feallan; Ger. fallen; prob. conn. with L. fallĕre, to deceive.]
Fall
fawl, n. the cry given when a whale is sighted, or harpooned: the chase of a whale.—Loose fall, the losing of a whale. [Prob. from the north-eastern Scotch pronunciation of whale.]
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
fall
A vertical descent of a river through a narrow rocky pass, or over a ledge, to the impediment of navigation. Also, the loose end of a tackle, or that part to which the power is applied in hoisting, and on which the people pull. Also, in ship-building, the descent of a deck from a fair-curve lengthwise, as frequently seen in merchantmen and yachts, to give height to the commander's cabin, and sometimes forward at the hawse-holes. Also, a large cutting down of timber. Also, North American English for autumn, when the navigation of northern inland waters is about to close till the succeeding spring.
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
fall
The surrender or capture of a place after it has been besieged.
fall
The rope rove through blocks, used with gins and shears for raising weights, and with the crab for moving them.
fall
The descent of a body by the attraction of the earth.
Editors Contribution
fallnoun
0.) Free of all arbitrary names in the fourth note of music lines contraction. 1.) Move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level. 2.) The lose of one's balance and collapse. 3.) Decrease in number, intensity, or quality. 4.) Pass into a specific state 5.) The autumn coming into conflict with and being undermined by dirt.
Most natural creations become ripe in the fall.
Etymology: Season
Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on October 13, 2023
Suggested Resources
fall
Song lyrics by fall -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by fall on the Lyrics.com website.
FALL
What does FALL stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the FALL acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Etymology and Origins
Fall
An Americanism for autumn, in allusion to the fall of the leaves.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
FALL
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Fall is ranked #6676 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Fall surname appeared 5,060 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 would have the surname Fall.
66.4% or 3,364 total occurrences were White.
27% or 1,371 total occurrences were Black.
2.3% or 117 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
1.8% or 92 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
1.7% or 89 total occurrences were of two or more races.
0.5% or 27 total occurrences were Asian.
Matched Categories
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'FALL' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1526
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'FALL' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1415
Nouns Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'FALL' in Nouns Frequency: #922
Verbs Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'FALL' in Verbs Frequency: #80
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of FALL in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of FALL in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4
Examples of FALL in a Sentence
Rejoice not at thine enemy's fall - but don't rush to pick him up either.
I want to be with them for all their special moments. I want to be there to hug them when they do well and dust them off and send them back out there when they fall. It’s time for me to be the full-time Dad that I want to be.
While we expect strict lockdowns to trigger a 3% fall in UK GDP in the first quarter, the more optimistic outlook for vaccinations means a sustained recovery could start in the spring.
Virginians overwhelmingly have shown strong support for Terry's leadership on vaccine requirements, we expect Youngkin's dangerous, Trumpian positions to be a driving motivation for Virginians to vote for Terry McAuliffe and Democrats this fall.
If we decide to report articles of impeachment we could get to that in the late fall, perhaps in the latter part of the year.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for FALL
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- valAfrikaans
- تساقط, وقع, سقطArabic
- düşməkAzerbaijani
- падаць, упасціBelarusian
- падам, понижавам се, падам се, изпадам, спадам, падение, паданеBulgarian
- caure, caigudaCatalan, Valencian
- padat, padnout, pádCzech
- cwympWelsh
- falde, kaste sig, blive, faldDanish
- fallen, werden, Absturz, Untergang, FallGerman
- πέφτωGreek
- fali, faloEsperanto
- caerse, descender, caer, caídaSpanish
- kukkuma, kukkumineEstonian
- شدن, افتادن, فتادنPersian
- kaatua, laskeutua, tulla joksikin, pudota, sataa, heittäytyä, tuho, putoaminenFinnish
- fall, fellaFaroese
- retomber, tomber, devenir, incomber, revenir, chute, déclinFrench
- falleWestern Frisian
- titIrish
- tuitScottish Gaelic
- caerse, caerGalician
- kúi, 'aGuaraní
- נפלHebrew
- गिरना, पड़नाHindi
- jut, esikHungarian
- ընկնել, գալ, անկումArmenian
- cader, caditaInterlingua
- runtuh, jatuh, tumbang, gugurIndonesian
- falarIdo
- cadere, diventare, divenire, cadutaItalian
- 潰れる, 倒れる, ひれふす, 転ぶ, 崩れる, 落下, 潰える, 落ちる, 斃れる, 降る, 没落Japanese
- រលំ, ធ្លាក់Khmer
- 하락하다, 쓰러지다, 떨어지다, 넘어지다Korean
- keftin, ketinKurdish
- бийликти жогот-, туура кел-, адамдыктан чык-, кон, түш-, төмөн түш, төмөндө-, тий-, өл-Kyrgyz
- cadō, casus, lapsusLatin
- ຕົກLao
- nukristi, kristiLithuanian
- krist, nokristLatvian
- pāhoroMāori
- падаMacedonian
- വീഴുക, അധഃപതിക്കുക;Malayalam
- ကျBurmese
- vallen, ondergang, valDutch
- kaste seg, falle, fallNorwegian
- caire, càser, càderOccitan
- polegnąć, padać, spadać, spaść, paść, upadek, spadek, spadaniePolish
- cair, falhar, perda, quedaPortuguese
- urmayQuechua
- crudarRomansh
- cădea, cădereRomanian
- погибнуть, пасть, упасть, снизиться, падать, снижаться, погибать, падениеRussian
- पत्Sanskrit
- orrúe, orrúereSardinian
- pȁdati, па̏дати, ùpasti, у̀пастиSerbo-Croatian
- padať, padnúťSlovak
- pasti, padecSlovene
- bieAlbanian
- waSouthern Sotho
- falla, kasta, trilla, bli, fallSwedish
- விழTamil
- పడు, పాటుTelugu
- ตกThai
- düşmekTurkish
- упасти, падатиUkrainian
- پڑنا, گرناUrdu
- rớt, ngã, xuống, rơi, téVietnamese
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