Webster's English Dictionary

stop

1. stop \'sta:p\ vb or stopped;  or stop.ping [ME stoppen, fr. OE 
   -stoppian; akin to OHG stopfo-n to sto]p, stuff; both fr. a prehistoric 
   WGmc word borrowed fr. (assumed) VL stuppare to stop with tow, fr. L stuppa 
   tow, fr. Gk styppe- 1a: to close by filling or obstructing  1b: to hinder 
   or prevent the passage of  2a: to close up or block off (an opening) : PLUG 
    2b: to make impassable : CHOKE, OBSTRUCT  2c: to cover over or fill in (a 
   hole or crevice)  3a: to cause to give up or change a course of action  3b: 
   to hold back : RESTRAIN, PREVENT  4a: to cause to cease : CHECK, SUPPRESS  
   4b: DISCONTINUE  5a: to deduct or withhold (a sum due)  5b: to instruct 
   one's bank not to honor or pay  6a: to arrest the progress or motion of : 
   cause to halt : INTERCEPT  6b: PARRY  6c: to check by means of a weapon : 
   bring down : KILL  6d: to beat in a prizefight by a knockout; broadly : 
   DEFEAT  6e: BAFFLE, NONPLUS  7: to regulate the pitch of (as a violin 
   string) by pressing with the fing er or (as a wind instrument) by closing 
   one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell 
   8: to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block ( 
   a bridge suit) before an opponent can run off many tricks 1a: to cease 
   activity or operation  1b: to come to an end esp. suddenly : CLOSE, FINISH  
   2a: to cease to move on : HALT  2b: PAUSE, HESITATE  3a: to break one's 
   journey : STAY  chiefly Brit  3b: REMAIN  3c: to make a brief call : drop 
   in  4: to become choked : CLOG  applies primarily to a suspending or 
   interfering with what is moving, operating, or progressing: CEASE applies 
   to what is thought of as having existence and may add an implication of 
   gradualness: QUIT may suggest either finality or abruptness in stopping or 
   ceasing; DISCONTINUE applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or 
   practice; DESIST implies forbearance or restraint as the motive for 
   stopping SYN syn CEASE, QUIT, DISCONTINUE, DESIST: STOP 
2. stop n 1a: CESSATION, END  1b: a pause or breaking off in speech  2a1: a 
   graduated set of organ pipes of like kind and tone quality  2a2: a 
   corresponding set of vibrators or reeds of a reed organ  2a3: STOP KNOB  
   2b: a means of regulating the pitch of a musical instrument  3a: something 
   that impedes, obstructs, or brings to a halt : IMPEDIMEN T, OBSTACLE 3b: 
   the aperture of a camera lens; also : a marking of a series (as  of 
   f-numbers) on a camera for indicating settings of the diaphragm 3c: a drain 
   plug : STOPPER  4: a device for arresting or limiting motion  5: the act of 
   stopping : the state of being stopped : CHECK  6a: a halt in a journey : 
   STAY  6b: a stopping place  chiefly Brit  7a: any of several punctuation 
   marks  7b: - used in telegrams and cables to indicate a period  7c: a pause 
   or break in a verse that marks the end of a grammatical unit  8a: an order 
   stopping payment (as of a check or note) by a bank  8b: STOP ORDER  9: a 
   consonant in the articulation of which there is a stage (as in the  p of 
   apt or the g of tiger) when the breath passage is completely closed 10: a 
   depression in the face of an animal at the junction of forehead and f 
   oreface
3. stop aj : serving to stop : designed to stop {~ line} {~ sign al} {~ 
   valve}