drop
drop
Pronunciation
/dɹɒp/
dɹɒp
/d/ - voiced alveolar stop
/ɹ/ - alveolar approximant
/ɒ/ - open back rounded vowel
/p/ - voiceless bilabial stop
Word Form Variations
drop (singular noun, verb)
drops (plural noun, third person singular present tense verb)
dropped (past tense verb, past participle)
dropping (present participle)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: A small quantity of liquid that falls or is dispensed in a roughly spherical mass.
Synonyms: globule, bead, droplet
Antonyms: flood, torrent, gush
Definition: A decline or reduction in amount, degree, or value.
Synonyms: decrease, fall, dip, slump
Antonyms: rise, increase, surge, climb
Definition: An act of dropping something or someone, often from a height.
Synonyms: fall, descent, plunge
Antonyms: ascent, rise, lift
Verb
Definition: To let something fall.
Synonyms: release, let go, shed
Antonyms: catch, grab, hold, raise
Definition: To fall vertically.
Synonyms: plummet, descend, tumble
Antonyms: ascend, rise, soar
Definition: To decrease or reduce in value or amount.
Synonyms: decline, fall, lessen, dwindle
Antonyms: increase, rise, soar, climb
Definition: To discontinue or abandon something.
Synonyms: quit, cease, stop, give up
Antonyms: continue, persist, maintain, start
Definition: To pay a brief, casual visit.
Synonyms: stop by, pop in, visit
Antonyms: stay, remain, avoid
Examples of Use
Books:
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams: "The Babel fish is small, yellow and leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It feeds on brainwave energy not from its carrier but from those around it. It absorbs all unconscious mental frequencies from this brainwave energy to nourish itself with. It then excretes into the mind of its carrier a telepathic matrix formed by combining the conscious thought frequencies with nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of the brain which has supplied them. The practical upshot of all this is that if you stick a Babel fish in your ear you can instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language. The speech patterns you actually hear decode the brainwave matrix which has been fed into your mind by your Babel3 fish. Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence4 that anything so mind-boggingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence5 of God. The argument goes something like this: 'I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, 'for proof denies faith, and without faith6 I am nothing.' 'But,' says Man, 'The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't.7 QED.' 'Oh dear,' says God, 'I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly drops dead." (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
Newspapers:
The New York Times: "Stocks drop sharply as inflation fears rise." (This example shows "drop" used as a verb to indicate a decrease in value, a common usage in financial reporting.) (www.nytimes.com)
Online Publications:
Wired: "Scientists drop tiny probes into the Mariana Trench to study the deepest parts of the ocean." (This example shows "drop" used as a verb to describe a physical action of releasing something, in this case, scientific probes.) (www.wired.com)
Entertainment:
Music: In the lyrics of the song "Waterfalls" by TLC: "Don't go chasing waterfalls / Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to / I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all / But I think you're moving too fast." The line "Don't go chasing waterfalls" uses "waterfalls" metaphorically, but the word "falls" relates to the concept of dropping, or falling from a height. (Waterfalls by TLC)
Video Games: In many video games, players can "drop" items from their inventory, leaving them behind in the game world. This is a common mechanic in role-playing and adventure games. (e.g., The Legend of Zelda series, Minecraft)
Public Discourse:
"Drop the mic": This phrase is used to indicate that someone has made a definitive statement or performed exceptionally well, and there is nothing left to say or do. It originates from the practice of performers literally dropping their microphones after a powerful performance. (This is an example of "drop" used in a figurative and idiomatic sense.)
10 Famous Quotes Using Drop
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out—like a drop carving stone." — Robert Collier
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world. You may only be a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less without that drop." — Mahatma Gandhi (paraphrased)
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly—and not a single drop of effort was wasted." — Anonymous (popular motivational quote)
"Don’t drop your standards to meet someone else's expectations." — Oprah Winfrey
"Each drop of blood bought and paid for this freedom. Don’t waste it." — Frederick Douglass (paraphrased from speeches on sacrifice and freedom)
"A drop of ink may make a million think." — Lord Byron
"We are not isolated beings but drops in a boundless ocean of energy." — Nikola Tesla (paraphrased from his writings on interconnectedness)
"Even a drop of kindness can ripple through a sea of despair." — Desmond Tutu
"I never lose. I either win or learn. Not a drop of effort goes to waste." — Nelson Mandela (paraphrased from resilience teachings)
"The drop hollows out the stone, not through force but through persistence." — Ovid
Etymology
Imagine you're way back in time, long before English existed as we know it. People were speaking Old English, and they had a word, "dropa," which meant something like a small blob of liquid, like a raindrop.
This "dropa" came from an even older Germanic word, likely something like "*druppō," which probably imitated the sound of a drop falling – drip! 💧
Over time, this word evolved and took on new meanings. It started to mean not just a literal drop of liquid, but also the act of falling ("The apple dropped from the tree").
Then, people started using "drop" figuratively. They talked about prices dropping, meaning decreasing, or dropping a friend, meaning ending a relationship.
The first recorded use of "drop" in English was before the 12th century! That's a seriously old word.
So, "drop" started as a simple word imitating the sound of something falling, and it grew to have all sorts of meanings related to falling, decreasing, and letting go. It's a great example of how words change and develop over time!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Drop
Commonly Used Phrases and Idioms:
Drop in the bucket: A very small, insignificant amount compared to what is needed.
Drop dead: (Rude) Used to express anger or dismissal towards someone.
Drop the ball: To make a mistake or fail to do something that was expected.
Drop a line: To write a short letter or note to someone.
At the drop of a hat: Immediately, without hesitation.
Lesser-Known Phrases and Idioms:
Drop a dime: To inform on someone, especially to the police.
Drop the mic: To end a performance or argument with a dramatic flourish, implying there's nothing left to say.
Drop a bombshell: To reveal shocking or surprising information.
Drop anchor: To stop a ship or boat by lowering its anchor.
Drop back: To move to a position further behind, often in sports or military tactics.
Original Phrases:
Drop the pretense: To stop pretending and be honest.
Drop the act: To stop behaving in a false or insincere way.
Drop a hint: To subtly suggest something without stating it directly.
Idioms with Synonyms for Similar Effect:
Fall flat: To fail to produce the desired effect or reaction (similar to "drop the ball").
Spill the beans: To reveal a secret (similar to "drop a bombshell").
Take a nosedive: To decline or decrease rapidly (similar to "drop" in value).
Hit rock bottom: To reach the lowest point (similar to "drop" to the lowest level).
The reason "drop" isn't as common in idioms might be because it's a simple, versatile word with a clear literal meaning. It's often used to describe physical actions or changes, which might make it less suitable for figurative expressions. However, as you can see, it still appears in a variety of phrases and idioms, both common and less common.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of drop from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
