v.
(past fell; past part. fallen)
- move from a higher to a lower level, typically rapidly and without control.
▸
(fall off)
become detached and drop to the ground.
▸hang down.
▸slope downwards.
▸(of a person's face) show dismay or disappointment by appearing to droop.
- cease to be standing or upright; collapse.
- decrease in number, amount, intensity, or quality.
- pass into a specified state:
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the buildings fell into disrepair.
▸occur or arrive.
▸
(fall to doing something)
begin to do something.
- be captured or defeated.
▸Cricket (of a wicket) be taken by the bowling side.
▸archaic yield to temptation.
- be classified in the way specified.
n.
- an act of falling.
▸Wrestling a move which pins the opponent's shoulders on the ground for a count of three.
▸a downward difference in height between parts of a surface.
▸a sudden onset or arrival.
- a thing which falls or has fallen.
▸a waterfall.
- a decrease.
- a defeat or downfall.
▸
(the Fall of Man)
the lapse of humankind into a state of sin, ascribed in Jewish and Christian theology to the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
- N. Amer. autumn.
Phrase
- fall foul
(or N. Amer. afoul)
of
come into conflict with. - fall in
(or into)
line
conform.
[with ref. to military formation.]
- fall into place
begin to make sense. - fall over oneself to do something
informal be excessively eager to do something. - fall short
(of)
- (of a missile) fail to reach its target.
- be deficient or inadequate.
- take the fall
N. Amer. informal incur blame or punishment in the place of another.
Phrase verbal
Etymology
OE fallan, feallan, of Gmc origin; the noun is partly from ON fall ‘downfall, sin’.
