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Fall

//fɔːl// intj, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Intj

1
The cry given when a whale is sighted, or harpooned.

Proper Noun

1
The sudden fall of humanity into a state of sin, as brought about by the transgression of Adam and Eve.
2
A surname.

Noun

1
The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity. countable, uncountable
"the fall of the snow"
2
The chasing of a hunted whale.
3
the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions) wordnet
4
A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc. countable, uncountable
"“I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”."
5
a sudden drop from an upright position wordnet

Show 22 more definitions

6
The time of the year when the leaves typically fall from the trees; autumn; the season of the year between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. Canada, US, archaic, countable, uncountable
"A friend has pointed out to me the following remark on this word: "In North America the season in which this [the fall of the leaf] takes place, derives its name from that circumstance, and instead of autumn is universally called the fall." [brackets in original]"
7
a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity wordnet
8
A loss of greatness or status. countable, uncountable
"the fall of Rome"
9
a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity wordnet
10
That which falls or cascades. countable, uncountable
"A fall of hair tumbled down one side of her body like a veil."
11
a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity wordnet
12
The height of that which falls or cascades. countable, uncountable
13
a movement downward wordnet
14
A crucial event or circumstance.; The action of a batsman being out. countable, uncountable
15
a sudden decline in strength or number or importance wordnet
16
A crucial event or circumstance.; A defect in the ice which causes stones thrown into an area to drift in a given direction. countable, uncountable
17
when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat wordnet
18
A crucial event or circumstance.; An instance of a wrestler being pinned to the mat. countable, uncountable
19
a downward slope or bend wordnet
20
A hairpiece for women consisting of long strands of hair on a woven backing, intended primarily to cover hair loss. countable, uncountable
"Female patients with localized hair loss on the top of scalp could select a fall or a demiwig to camouflage crown and anterior scalp loss."
21
the time of day immediately following sunset wordnet
22
Blame or punishment for a failure or misdeed. US, countable, informal, uncountable
"He set up his rival to take the fall."
23
the season when the leaves fall from the trees wordnet
24
The part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting (usu. plural). countable, uncountable
"Have the goodness to secure the falls of the mizzen halyards."
25
An old Scots unit of measure equal to six ells. countable, uncountable
26
A short, flexible piece of leather forming part of a bullwhip, placed between the thong and the cracker. countable, uncountable
"Brooks fitted a new fall to his whip."
27
The lid, on a piano, that covers the keyboard. countable, uncountable

Verb

1
To be moved downwards.; To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. intransitive
"Thrown from a cliff, the stone fell 100 feet before hitting the ground."
2
pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind wordnet
3
To be moved downwards.; To come down, to drop or descend. intransitive
"The rain fell at dawn."
4
decrease in size, extent, or range wordnet
5
To be moved downwards.; To come as if by dropping down. intransitive
"Once or twice a noise fell upon his quick ear, and we halted, he standing revolver in hand in an attitude of defense. Each time, however, we ascertained that we had no occasion for alarm, the noise being made by some animal or bird ..."

Show 52 more definitions

6
come as if by falling wordnet
7
To be moved downwards.; To come to the ground deliberately, to prostrate oneself. intransitive
"He fell to the floor and begged for mercy."
8
go as if by falling wordnet
9
To be moved downwards.; To be brought to the ground. intransitive
10
occur at a specified time or place wordnet
11
To move downwards.; To let fall; to drop. obsolete, transitive
"For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds."
12
begin vigorously wordnet
13
To move downwards.; To sink; to depress. obsolete, transitive
"to fall the voice"
14
be born, used chiefly of lambs wordnet
15
To move downwards.; To fell; to cut down. UK, US, archaic, dialectal, transitive
"to fall a tree"
16
come out; issue wordnet
17
To change, often negatively.; To become (chiefly used with negative states). copulative, intransitive
"Near-synonyms: become, get, go, turn, come, grow, wax"
18
be cast down wordnet
19
To change, often negatively.; To collapse; to be overthrown or defeated. intransitive
"Rome fell to the Goths in 410 AD."
20
assume a disappointed or sad expression wordnet
21
To change, often negatively.; To die, especially in battle or by disease. euphemistic, formal, intransitive
"This is a monument to all those who fell in the First World War."
22
fall or flow in a certain way wordnet
23
To change, often negatively.; To become lower (in quantity, pitch, etc.). intransitive
"The candidate's poll ratings fell abruptly after the banking scandal."
24
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way wordnet
25
To occur (on a certain day of the week, date, or similar); to happen.
"Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday."
26
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity wordnet
27
To be allotted to; to arrive through chance, fate, or inheritance. intransitive
"And so it falls to me to make this important decision."
28
drop oneself to a lower or less erect position wordnet
29
To diminish; to lessen or lower. obsolete, transitive
"Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities."
30
lose an upright position suddenly wordnet
31
To bring forth. obsolete, transitive
"to fall lambs"
32
slope downward wordnet
33
To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; said of the young of certain animals. intransitive, obsolete
"As for Calves newly fallen, you must leave them with good Litter of fresh Straw until such qime as the Cows have licked and cleansed them,"
34
move in a specified direction wordnet
35
To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin. intransitive
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
36
be inherited by wordnet
37
To become ensnared or entrapped; to be worse off than before. intransitive
"to fall into error; to fall into difficulties; to fall into ruin"
38
fall to somebody by assignment or lot; passed wordnet
39
To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; said of the face. intransitive
"Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell."
40
come into the possession of wordnet
41
To happen; to come to pass; to chance or light (upon). intransitive
"Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall."
42
be captured wordnet
43
To begin with haste, ardour, or vehemence; to rush or hurry. intransitive
"After arguing, they fell to blows."
44
to be given by assignment or distribution wordnet
45
To be dropped or uttered carelessly. intransitive
"An unguarded expression fell from his lips."
46
to be given by right or inheritance wordnet
47
To hang down (under the influence of gravity). intransitive
"An Empire-style dress has a high waistline – directly under the bust – from which the dress falls all the way to a hem as low as the floor."
48
lose office or power wordnet
49
To visit; to go to a place. intransitive, slang
"We'll fall over to the club tonight."
50
suffer defeat, failure, or ruin wordnet
51
yield to temptation or sin wordnet
52
lose one's chastity wordnet
53
touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly wordnet
54
die, as in battle or in a hunt wordnet
55
be due wordnet
56
come under, be classified or included wordnet
57
fall from clouds wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

Verb from Middle English fallen, from Old English feallan (“to fall, fail, decay, die, attack”), from Proto-West Germanic *fallan (“to fall”), from Proto-Germanic *fallaną (“to fall”). Cognate with West Frisian falle (“to fall”), Low German fallen (“to fall”), Dutch vallen (“to fall”), German fallen (“to fall”), Danish falde (“to fall”), Norwegian Bokmål falle (“to fall”), Norwegian Nynorsk falla (“to fall”), Icelandic falla (“to fall”), Lithuanian pùlti (“to attack, rush”). Noun from Middle English fal, fall, falle, from Old English feall, ġefeall (“a falling, fall”) and Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”). Cognate with Dutch val, German Fall (“fall”) and German Falle (“trap, snare”), Danish fald, Swedish fall, Icelandic fall. Sense of "autumn" is attested by the 1660s in England as a shortening of fall of the leaf (1540s), from the falling of leaves during this season. Along with autumn, it mostly replaced the older name harvest as that name began to be associated strictly with the act of harvesting. Compare spring, which began as a shortening of “spring of the leaf”.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Perhaps from the north-eastern Scottish pronunciation of whale.

Etymology 4

Perhaps from the north-eastern Scottish pronunciation of whale.

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