What does "drop" mean?
A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
Drop
/dɹɒp/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.
- Grammar: drop is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bead, fall, abandon, abandoning.
- Useful contrasts: elevated, model organism lists, resultant rise.
- Usage evidence: Since you like to write letters, why don't you drop her a line?
How to use "drop"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "drop" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "drop" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "drop" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "drop" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "drop" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bead" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "drop", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid. also, figuratively
"Put three drops of oil into the mixture."
- 2 the act of dropping something wordnet
- 3 A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.; A dose of liquid medicine in the form of a drop (sense 1). also, figuratively
"My first treatment consisted of one eye drop in each eye which was supposed to determine the condition of the eye and make it easier to examine them the next day."
- 4 a central depository where things can be left or picked up wordnet
- 5 A small quantity of liquid, just large enough to hold its own rounded shape through surface tension, especially one that falls from a source of liquid.; A liquid medicine that is intended to be administered in drops (sense 1). also, figuratively, in-plural
"ear drops eye drops"
Show 48 more definitions
- 6 a curtain that can be lowered and raised onto a stage from the flies; often used as background scenery wordnet
- 7 A very small quantity of liquid, or (by extension) of anything. figuratively
"My aunt asked for just a drop more tea."
- 8 a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity wordnet
- 9 A very small quantity of liquid, or (by extension) of anything.; A small amount of an alcoholic beverage. Australia, British, figuratively
"He usually enjoys a drop after dinner. She won’t touch a drop while she’s on duty."
- 10 a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity wordnet
- 11 A very small quantity of liquid, or (by extension) of anything.; Usually preceded by the: alcoholic spirits in general. British, figuratively
"It doesn’t matter where you’re from, anyone who enjoys the drop is a friend of mine."
- 12 a predetermined hiding place for the deposit and distribution of illicit goods (such as drugs or stolen property) wordnet
- 13 A very small quantity of liquid, or (by extension) of anything.; A single measure of whisky. Ireland, figuratively, informal
- 14 a steep high face of rock wordnet
- 15 That which hangs or resembles a liquid globule, such as a hanging diamond earring or ornament, a glass pendant on a chandelier, etc.; Often preceded by a defining word: a small, round piece of hard candy, such as a lemon drop; a lozenge.
- 16 a small indefinite quantity (especially of a liquid) wordnet
- 17 That which hangs or resembles a liquid globule, such as a hanging diamond earring or ornament, a glass pendant on a chandelier, etc.; An ornament resembling a pendant; a gutta.
- 18 a shape that is spherical and small wordnet
- 19 A thing which drops or hangs down.; The cover mounted on a swivel over a keyhole that rests over the keyhole when not in use to keep out debris, but is swiveled out of the way before inserting the key.
- 20 A thing which drops or hangs down.; A fruit which has fallen off a tree, etc., or has been knocked off accidentally, rather than picked.
"Drops are another source of juice apple supply. As the pickers pick apples in orchards oriented toward fresh-market or canning apples, apples fall or are accidentally knocked to the ground; these are drops. The only use for drops is juice production."
- 21 A thing which drops or hangs down.; A dropped pass.
"Yet another drop for the Tiger tight end."
- 22 A thing which drops or hangs down.; A trapdoor (“hinged platform”) on a gallows; a gallows itself.
"As the prisoners prepared to leave, they had seen Dan and Steve standing together in the breezeway, ‘for all the world like two condemned prisoners on the drop’."
- 23 A thing which drops or hangs down.; An item made available for the player to pick up from the remains of a defeated enemy. Internet
- 24 A thing which drops or hangs down.; A mechanism for lowering something, such as a machine for lowering heavy weights on to a ship's deck, or a device for temporarily lowering a gas jet, etc.
- 25 A thing which drops or hangs down.; An overhead electrical line running from a utility pole to a customer's building or other premises.
"Do a drop for the telephone gang, then another drop for the Internet gang, both through the ceiling of the wiring closet."
- 26 A thing which drops or hangs down.; Ellipsis of drop hammer or drop press. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 27 A thing which drops or hangs down.; A curtain which falls in front of a theatrical stage; also, a section of (cloth) scenery lowered on to the stage like a curtain.
"La Cage's upstage drops include two of the St. Tropez harbor (one for the day and another for the night), [... an] ocean drop (used in an Act I dream sequence), and an abstract chandelier drop (used in the second act[…])."
- 28 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; An act of moving downwards under the force of gravity; a descent, a fall.
"That was a long drop, but fortunately I didn’t break any bones."
- 29 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; An instance of making a delivery of people, supplies, or things, especially by parachute out of an aircraft (an airdrop), but also by truck, etc.
"The delivery driver has to make three more drops before lunch."
- 30 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; A release (of music, a video game, etc).
"2002 saw the drop of a new album whose title riffed on the many magazine cover stories calling Sum 41's music infectious."
- 31 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; The amount of money that a gambler exchanges for chips in a casino.
"What the first column in the table shows you is how much the casinos won as a percentage of the drop. For example, on the roulette table for every $100 that went into the drop box the casino wonj $22.70 or 22.70%. […] In other words, the drop tells you how many chips were bought at that table, but it doesn't tell you how many bets were made with those chips."
- 32 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; Preceded by the: execution by hanging. informal
"She. Have you ever seen a man hanged? He. Yes. Once. She. What was it for? He. Murder, of course. She. Murder. Is that so great a sin after all? I wonder how he felt before the drop fell."
- 33 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; Usually preceded by the: relegation from one division to a lower one.
- 34 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; Ellipsis of drop-back. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
"The Tiger quarterback took a one-step drop, expecting his tight end to be open."
- 35 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; Ellipsis of drop target. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 36 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; Ellipsis of drop kick. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 37 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; Ellipsis of drop shot. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 38 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; A near vertical decent down the face of a breaking wave.
"You take off, make the steep drop, hear the white water rumbling behind you and feel the spray on your back."
- 39 An act or instance of dropping (in all senses).; An unsolicited credit card issue. US, dated
- 40 A decline in degree, quality, quantity, or rate.
"The drop in demand for oil resulted in a drop in prices."
- 41 A decline in degree, quality, quantity, or rate.; Of men's clothes: the difference between the chest circumference and waist circumference.
- 42 A decline in degree, quality, quantity, or rate.; Of women's clothes: the difference between the bust circumference and hip circumference.
- 43 The distance through which something drops, or falls below a certain level.; The distance below a cliff or other high position through which someone or something could fall; hence, a steep slope.
"On one side of the road was a 50-foot drop."
- 44 The distance through which something drops, or falls below a certain level.; The vertical length of a hanging curtain.
- 45 The distance through which something drops, or falls below a certain level.; The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger.
- 46 The distance through which something drops, or falls below a certain level.; The distance that a person drops when being executed by hanging.
- 47 The distance through which something drops, or falls below a certain level.; The depth of a (square) sail (generally applied to the courses only); the vertical dimension of a sail.
"A further point is, that the convenience of the ship herself may interfere with the disposition of sails. A high forecastle will shorten the drop of the foresail, and a poop may seriously interfere with the spanker."
- 48 A place where items or supplies may be left for others to collect, whether openly (as with a mail drop), or secretly or illegally (as in crime or espionage); a drop-off point.
"I left the plans at the drop, like you asked."
- 49 Only used in get the drop on, have the drop on: an advantage. informal
- 50 A point in a song, usually electronic music such as dubstep, house, trance, or trap, where there is a very noticeable and pleasing change in bass, tempo, and/or overall tone; a climax, a highlight.
"But musical ancestry aside, the influence to which [Justin] Bieber is most beholden is the current trends in pop music, which means Believe is loaded up with EDM [electronic dance music] accouterments, seeking a comfortable middle ground where Bieber’s impressively refined pop-R&B croon can rub up on techno blasts and garish dubstep drops (and occasionally grind on some AutoTune, not necessarily because it needs it, but because a certain amount of robo-voice is expected these days)."
- 51 Licorice in confectionery form.
- 52 An automobile with a drop-top roof, a convertible. US, slang
- 53 A place (specified by an ordinal) in the batting order after the openers.
"`Well what about first drop then? Garner will be on by then, I'll smash him all over the park.'"
Verb
- 1 Of a liquid: to fall in drops or droplets. intransitive
"The kindlye dewe drops from the higher tree, / And wets the little plants that lowly dwell."
- 2 give birth; used for animals wordnet
- 3 To fall (straight down) under the influence of gravity, like a drop of liquid. also, figuratively, intransitive
"A single shot was fired and the bird dropped from the sky."
- 4 grow progressively worse wordnet
- 5 To fall (straight down) under the influence of gravity, like a drop of liquid.; Of an item: To appear for the player to pick up, usually after an enemy has been defeated. Internet, also, figuratively, intransitive
"When you defeat this boss, there's a chance a power-up will drop."
Show 67 more definitions
- 6 fall or sink into a state of exhaustion or death wordnet
- 7 To fall or sink quickly or suddenly to the ground. intransitive
"Drop and give me thirty push-ups, private!"
- 8 stop pursuing or acting wordnet
- 9 To collapse in exhaustion or injury; also, to fall dead, or to fall in death. intransitive
"Nothing, ſays Seneca, is ſo melancholy a circumſtance in human life, or ſo ſoon reconciles us to the thought of our own death, as the reflection and prospect of one friend after another dropping round us!"
- 10 lower the pitch of (musical notes) wordnet
- 11 To fall into a particular condition or state. intransitive
- 12 go down in value wordnet
- 13 To come to an end (by not being kept up); to lapse, to stop. intransitive
"When he again found privacy consistent, however—and it happened to be long in coming—he took up their conversation very much where it had dropped."
- 14 change from one level to another wordnet
- 15 To decrease, diminish, or lessen in condition, degree, value, etc. intransitive
"The stock dropped 1.5% yesterday."
- 16 leave undone or leave out wordnet
- 17 To decrease, diminish, or lessen in condition, degree, value, etc.; Of a song or sound: to lower in key, pitch, tempo, or other quality. intransitive
"My synthesizer makes the notes sound funny when they drop below C2."
- 18 omit (a letter or syllable) in speaking or writing wordnet
- 19 To decrease, diminish, or lessen in condition, degree, value, etc.; Of a voice: to lower in timbre, often due to puberty. intransitive
"Billy’s voice dropped suddenly when he turned 12."
- 20 utter with seeming casualness wordnet
- 21 To fall behind or to the rear of a group of people, etc., as a result of not keeping up with those at the front. intransitive
- 22 lose (a game) wordnet
- 23 Usually followed by by, in, or into: of a person: to visit someone or somewhere informally or without a prior appointment. intransitive
"Do drop by soon and I’ll lend you that book."
- 24 take (a drug, especially LSD), by mouth wordnet
- 25 Of a programme, software, a music album or song, etc.: to enter public distribution. colloquial, intransitive
"The album Hip-Hop Xmas dropped in time for the holidays."
- 26 cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow wordnet
- 27 To drop out of the betting. intransitive
"But more important, if I dropped, Marty would have won the hand automatically."
- 28 remove (cargo, people, etc.) from and leave wordnet
- 29 Of the testicles: to hang further away from the body and begin producing sperm due to puberty. informal, intransitive
- 30 to remove wordnet
- 31 To let drops fall; to discharge itself in drops. intransitive, obsolete
"The heavens […] dropped at the presence of God."
- 32 let or cause to fall in drops wordnet
- 33 To drip (a liquid) in drops or small amounts. transitive
"The recording angel, as he wrote it down, dropped a tear upon the word and blotted it out forever."
- 34 to fall vertically wordnet
- 35 To let (something) fall; to allow (something) to fall (either by releasing hold of, or losing one's grip on). also, ergative, figuratively, transitive
"Don’t drop that plate! The police ordered the men to drop their weapons."
- 36 let fall to the ground wordnet
- 37 To let (something) fall; to allow (something) to fall (either by releasing hold of, or losing one's grip on).; Of a defeated enemy or container: To leave behind an item that the player can collect. Internet, also, ergative, figuratively, transitive
"The monsters drop health pickups when killed."
- 38 fall or descend to a lower place or level wordnet
- 39 To move to a lower position; to allow to hang downwards; to lower. transitive
"The stare seemed to abash Poirot. He dropped his eyes and began fiddling with the papers in front of him."
- 40 pay out wordnet
- 41 To move to a lower position; to allow to hang downwards; to lower.; To quickly lower or take down (one's trousers), especially in public. transitive
- 42 terminate an association with wordnet
- 43 To move to a lower position; to allow to hang downwards; to lower.; To cook (food, especially fast food), particularly by lowering into hot oil to deep-fry, or by grilling. transitive
"Drop a basket of fries."
- 44 stop associating with wordnet
- 45 To reduce; to make smaller. transitive
"Here is a simple example: suppose you are in the process of writing a 15-page proposal and at a certain point you decide that, in order to fit all your material, you want to drop the font size from 12 to 11."
- 46 hang loosely wordnet
- 47 Of an animal (usually a sheep): to give birth to (young); of a bird: to lay (an egg). transitive
"to drop a lamb"
- 48 To mention (something) casually or incidentally, usually in conversation. transitive
"The lecturer would drop hints whenever the students struggled."
- 49 To let (a letter, etc.) fall into a postbox; hence, to send (a letter, email, or other message) in an offhand manner. transitive
"As she had a free moment, she dropped her a text."
- 50 To make (someone or something) fall to the ground from a blow, gunshot, etc.; to bring down, to shoot down; to kill. transitive
"Make any sudden movements and I will drop you!"
- 51 To set down (someone or something) from a vehicle; to stop and deliver or deposit (someone or something); to drop off. transitive
"Could you drop me at the airport on your way to work tomorrow?"
- 52 To lower (a sound, a voice, etc.) in pitch or volume. transitive
- 53 To lower (a sound, a voice, etc.) in pitch or volume.; To tune (a guitar string, etc.) to a lower note. transitive
- 54 To cease concerning oneself over (someone or something); to have nothing more to do with (a discussion, subject, etc.). transitive
"I’m tired of this subject. Will you just drop it?"
- 55 To dispose or get rid of (something); to lose, to remove. transitive
"I dropped ten pounds and an obnoxious fiancée."
- 56 To cease to include (something), as if on a list; to dismiss, to eject, to expel. transitive
"I’ve been dropped from the football team."
- 57 To cancel or cease to participate in (a scheduled course, event, or project). transitive
"I had to drop calculus because it was taking up too much of my time."
- 58 To lose, spend, or otherwise part with (money). slang, transitive
"My friends went to the football game, but I skipped, as I had just dropped a lot of money on a new bike wheel."
- 59 To pass or use (counterfeit cheques, money, etc.). slang, transitive
- 60 To impart (something). slang, transitive
"I drop knowledge wherever I go."
- 61 Especially in drop acid: to swallow (a drug, particularly LSD). slang, transitive
- 62 To release (a programme, software, a music album or song, etc.) to the public. colloquial, transitive
"They dropped the album Hip-Hop Xmas in time for the holidays."
- 63 To fail to write, or (especially) to pronounce (a syllable, letter, etc.). transitive
"Cockneys drop their aitches."
- 64 To play (a portion of music) in the manner of a disc jockey. transitive
"I love it when he drops his funky beats."
- 65 To perform (rap music). transitive
"Yo, I drop rhymes like nobody’s business."
- 66 To (unexpectedly) lose (a competition, game, etc.). transitive
- 67 Of a fielder: to fail to dismiss (a batsman) by accidentally dropping a batted ball that had initially been caught. transitive
"Warne dropped Tendulkar on 99. Tendulkar went on to get a century next ball."
- 68 To score (a goal) by means of a drop kick. transitive
- 69 To cover (something) with or as if with drops, especially of a different colour; to bedrop, to variegate. archaic, transitive
"their waved coats dropped with gold"
- 70 To enter a more basic interface. intransitive
"Next, you drop to a shell."
- 71 To present (the user) with a more basic interface. transitive
"The next step drops the user to a recovery shell."
- 72 To make someone, or be made to do push-ups or some other form of exercise on the ground as punishment. Singapore, US, ergative, slang
"Drop and give me 20, now!"
Antonyms
Example
"Since you like to write letters, why don't you drop her a line?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "drop"?
Common synonyms include: bead, fall, abandon, abandoning, abate, abdicate.
How do you use "drop" in a sentence?
Since you like to write letters, why don't you drop her a line?
How do you pronounce "drop"?
Pronounced /dɹɒp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *dropōn Old English dropian Middle English droppen Proto-Indo-European *dʰrbʰ-néh₂- Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- Proto-Germanic *dreupaną Proto-Germanic *druppōną Proto-Germanic *drupô Proto-West Germanic *dropō Old English dropa ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English drope ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English droppe English drop From Late Middle English droppe, Middle English drope (“small quantity of liquid; small or least amount of something; pendant jewel; dripping of a liquid; a shower; nasal flow, catarrh; speck, spot; blemish; disease causing spots on the skin”) [and other forms], from Old English dropa (“a drop”), from Proto-West Germanic *dropō (“drop (of liquid)”), from Proto-Germanic *drupô (“drop (of liquid)”),, from *dreupaną (“to drip, droop”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to drip, drop”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Droupe, Druppe (“drop”), Dutch drop, drup (“droplet”), German Tropfen (“drop”), German Low German Drüpp (“drop”), Luxembourgish Drëps (“drop”), Vilamovian tropa, troppa (“drop”), Yiddish טראָפּן (tropn, “drop”), Danish dråbe (“drop”), Faroese and Icelandic dropi (“drop”), Norwegian Bokmål dråpe (“drop”), Norwegian Nynorsk drope, dråpå (“drop”), Swedish droppe (“drop”).
Etymology 2
Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *dropōn Old English dropian Middle English droppen Proto-Indo-European *dʰrbʰ-néh₂- Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- Proto-Germanic *dreupaną Proto-Germanic *druppōną Proto-Germanic *drupô Proto-West Germanic *dropō Old English dropa ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English drope ▲ Middle English droppen Middle English droppe English drop From Middle English droppen, dropen (“to fall in drops, drip or trickle down; to scatter, sprinkle; to be covered with a liquid; to give off moisture; of an object: to drop, fall; of a living being: to fall to the ground”) [and other forms], from Old English droppian, dropian (“to drop”), from Proto-West Germanic *dropōn, from Proto-Germanic *drupōną (“to fall in drops, drip”), ultimately from *dreupaną (“to hang, droop; drop, drip”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to drip, drop”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian drippe (“to drip”), Dutch druipen (“to drip”), German triefen (“to drip”), Yiddish טריפֿן (trifn, “to drip”), Icelandic drjúpa (“to drip”), Norwegian Nynorsk drjupa, drypa, drype (“to drip”), Swedish drypa (“to drip”).