Fall off

noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative form of falloff. alt-of, alternative
Verb
  1. 1
    To become detached or to drop from. intransitive, transitive

    "A button fell off my coat."

  2. 2
    diminish in size or intensity wordnet
  3. 3
    To diminish in size, value, etc. To get worse (in quality). intransitive

    "Business always falls off in the winter."

  4. 4
    fall heavily or suddenly; decline markedly wordnet
  5. 5
    To change the direction of the sail so as to point in a direction that is more down wind; to bring the bow leeward.

    "'Why d'ye see, Captain Vangs,' says bold Jack, 'I'm as good a helmsman as ever put hand to spoke; but none of us can steer the old lady now. We can't keep her full and bye, sir; watch her ever so close, she will fall off and then, sir, when I put the helm down so gently, and try like to coax her to the work, she won't take it kindly, but will fall round off again; and it's all because she knows the land is under the lee, sir, and she won't go any more to windward.'"

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    come off wordnet
  2. 7
    To fall into sin; stray. intransitive

    "I am bound to say that no one has fallen off so frequently as myself. I have renounced the devil and all his works; but it is by word of mouth only—by word of mouth only."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From fall + off; and also dissimilated from Middle English offallen (“to destroy, defeat, ruin, fail”), from Old English offeallan (“to fall upon, destroy”).

Etymology 2

From fall + off; and also dissimilated from Middle English offallen (“to destroy, defeat, ruin, fail”), from Old English offeallan (“to fall upon, destroy”).

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