"fall" Definition

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.

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.

To find a final outlet; to discharge its waters; to empty; -- with into; as, the river Rhone falls into the Mediterranean.

To become prostrate and dead; to die; especially, to die by violence, as in battle.

To cease to be active or strong; to die away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the wind falls.

To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; -- said of the young of certain animals.

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.

To be overthrown or captured; to be destroyed.

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.

To become insnared or embarrassed; to be entrapped; to be worse off than before; asm to fall into error; to fall into difficulties.

To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; -- said of the countenance.

To sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our fortunes.

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.

To happen; to to come to pass; to light; to befall; to issue; to terminate.

To come; to occur; to arrive.

To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows.

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.

To belong or appertain.

To be dropped or uttered carelessly; as, an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur fell from him.

To let fall; to drop.

To sink; to depress; as, to fall the voice.

To diminish; to lessen or lower.

To bring forth; as, to fall lambs.

To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree.

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.

The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a fall.

Death; destruction; overthrow; ruin.

Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin; overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire.

The surrender of a besieged fortress or town ; as, the fall of Sebastopol.

Diminution or decrease in price or value; depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of rents.

A sinking of tone; cadence; as, the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence.

Declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope.

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.

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.

Extent of descent; the distance which anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five feet.

The season when leaves fall from trees; autumn.

That which falls; a falling; as, a fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow.

The act of felling or cutting down.

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.

Formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the neck; a falling band; a faule.

That part (as one of the ropes) of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting.

(past fell; past part. Fallen) 1 go or come down freely; descend. 2 (often foll. By over) come suddenly to the ground from loss of balance etc. 3 a hang or slope down. B (foll. By into) (of a river etc.) Discharge into. 4 a sink lower; decline, esp. In power, status, etc. B subside. 5 occur (falls on a monday). 6 (of the face) show dismay or disappointment. 7 yield to temptation. 8 take or have a particular direction or place (his eye fell on me; accent falls on the first syllable). 9 a find a place; be naturally divisible. B (foll. By under, within) be classed among. 10 come by chance or duty (it fell to me to answer). 11 a pass into a specified condition (fell ill). B become (fall asleep). 12 be defeated or captured. 13 die. 14 (foll. By on, upon) a attack. B meet with. C embrace or embark on avidly. 15 (foll. By to + verbal noun) begin (fell to wondering). n. 1 act of falling. 2 that which falls or has fallen, e.g. Snow. 3 recorded amount of rainfall etc. 4 overthrow (fall of rome). 5 a succumbing to temptation. B (the fall) adam''s sin and its results. 6 (also fall) us autumn. 7 (esp. In pl.) Waterfall etc. 8 wrestling-bout; throw in wrestling. fall about colloq. Be helpless with laughter. Fall away 1 (of a surface) incline abruptly. 2 become few or thin; gradually vanish. 3 desert. Fall back retreat. Fall back on have recourse to in difficulty. Fall behind 1 be outstripped; lag. 2 be in arrears. Fall down (often foll. By on) colloq. Fail. Fall for colloq. Be captivated or deceived by. Fall foul of come into conflict with. Fall in 1 take one''s place in military formation. 2 collapse inwards. Fall in with 1 meet by chance. 2 agree with. 3 coincide with. Fall off 1 become detached. 2 decrease, deteriorate. Fall out 1 quarrel. 2 (of the hair, teeth, etc.) Become detached. 3 mil. Come out of formation. 4 result; occur. Fall over backwards see *backwards. Fall over oneself colloq. 1 be eager. 2 stumble through haste, confusion, etc. Fall short be deficient. Fall short of fail to reach or obtain. Fall through fail; miscarry. Fall to begin, e.g. Eating or working. [old english]