fall
1. fall \'fo.l\ \'fel\ \'fo.-l*n or esp in poetry 'fo.ln\ vb or fell; or
fall.en or fall.ing [ME fallen, fr. OE feallan; akin to OHG fallan to fall
and pe]rh. to Lith pulti 1a: to descend freely by the force of gravity 1b:
to hang freely 1c: to drop oneself to a lower position 1d: to come as if
by descending 2: to become born - usu. used of lambs 3a: to become of
lower degree or level 3b: to drop in pitch or volume 3c: to become
uttered 3d: to become lowered {her eyes fell} 4a: to leave an erect
position suddenly and involuntarily 4b: STUMBLE, STRAY 4c: to drop down
wounded or dead; esp : to die in battle 4d: to suffer military capture
4e: to lose office {the party fell from power} 4f: to suffer ruin, defeat,
or failure 5: to commit an immoral act; esp : to lose one's chastity 6a:
to move or extend in a downward direction 6b: SUBSIDE, ABATE 6c: to
decline in quality, activity, or quantity 6d: to lose weight - used with
off or away 6e: to assume a look of shame, disappointment, or dejection
7: to decline in financial value or price 8a: to occur at a certain time
8b: to come by chance 8c: to come or pass by lot, assignment, or
inheritance : DEVOLVE 8d: to have its place or station {the accent ~s on
the secon d syllable} 9: to come within the limits, scope, or jurisdiction
of something 10: to pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or
mind 11: to set about heartily or actively {fell to work} 12: STRIKE,
IMPINGE : FELL 1: to lag behind 2: to be in arrears : to produce no
response or result 1: to fall in love with 2: to become a victim of 1:
to have a collision - used chiefly of ships 2: to have a quarrel : CLASH -
often used with of 1: to lapse morally : SIN 2: BACKSLIDE : to curve
inward - used of the timbers or upper parts of a ship's side : to comply
with a certain course of action : to display excessive eagerness 1: to be
deficient 2: to fail to attain - fall behind
2. fall n 1: the act of falling by the force of gravity 2a: a falling out,
off, or away : DROPPING 2b: the season when leaves fall from trees :
AUTUMN 2c: a thing or quantity that falls 2d1: BIRTH 2d2: the quantity
born - usu. used of lambs 3a: a costume decoration of lace or thin fabric
arranged to hang loosely an d gracefully 3b: a very wide turned-down collar
worn in the 17th century 3c: the part of a turned-over collar from the
crease to the outer edge 3d: a wide front flap on trousers (as those worn
by sailors) 3e: the freely hanging lower edge of the skirt of a coat 3f:
one of the three outer and often drooping segments of the flower of an
iris 4: a hoisting-tackle rope or chain; esp : the part of it to which t he
power is applied 5a: loss of greatness : COLLAPSE 5b: the surrender or
capture of a besieged place 5c: lapse or departure from innocence or
goodness 5d: loss of a woman's chastity 6a: the descent of land or a hill
: SLOPE 6b: precipitous descent of water : WATERFALL - usu. used in pl. b
ut sing. or pl. in constr. 6c: a musical cadence 6d: a falling-pitch
intonation in speech 7: a decrease in size, quantity, or degree; specif :
a decrease in price or value 8a: the distance which something falls 8b:
INCLINATION, PITCH 9a: the act of felling 9b: the quantity of trees cut
down 9c1: an act of forcing a wrestler's shoulders to the mat 9c2: a bout
of wrestling Scot 10: FORTUNE, LOT
3. fall aj : of or relating to fall {~ coat}
Webster's English Dictionary