Adjacent Words

Fall definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FALL, v.i. pret. fell; pp. fallen. [L. fallo, to fail, to deceive, Gr.; Heb. to fall. Fail agrees better with Heb., but these words may have had one primitive root, the sense of which was to move, to recede, to pass. See Foul.]
1. To drop from a higher place; to descend by the power of gravity alone. Rain falls from the clouds; a man falls from his horse; ripe fruits fall from trees; an ox falls into a pit.
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 10.
2. To drop from an erect posture.
I fell at his feet to worship him. Revelation 19.
3. To disembogue; to pass at the outlet; to flow out of its channel into a pond, lake or sea, as a river. The Rhone falls into the Mediterranean sea. The Danube falls into the Euxine. The Mississippi falls into the gulf of Mexico.
4. To depart from the faith, or from rectitude; to apostatize. Adam fell by eating the forbidden fruit.
Labor to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4.
5. To die; particularly by violence.
Ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Leviticus 26.
A thousand shall fall at thy side. Psalms 91.
6. To come to an end suddenly; to vanish; to perish.
The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished.
7. To be degraded; to sink into disrepute or disgrace; to be plunged into misery; as, to fall from an elevated station, or from a prosperous state.
8. To decline in power, wealth or glory; to sink into weakness; to be overthrown or ruined. This is the renowned Tyre; but oh, how fallen.
Heaven and earth will witness, if Rome must fall, that we are innocent.
9. To pass into a worse state than the former; to come; as, to fall into difficulties; to fall under censure of imputation; to fall into error or absurdity; to fall into a snare. In these and similar phrases, the sense of suddenness, accident or ignorance is often implied; but not always.
10. To sink; to be lowered. The mercury in a thermometer rises and falls with the increase and diminution of heat. The water of a river rises and falls. The tide falls.
11. To decrease; to be diminished in weight or value. The price of goods falls with plenty and rises with scarcity. Pliny tells us, the as fell from a pound to two ounces in the first Punic war.
12. To sink; not to amount to the full.
The greatness of finances and revenue doth fall under computation.
13. To be rejected; to sink into disrepute.
This book must stand or fall with thee.
14. To decline from violence to calmness from intensity to remission. The wind falls and a calm succeeds.
At length her fury fell.
15. To pass into a new state of body or mind; to become; as, to fall asleep; to fall distracted; to fall sick; to fall into rage or passion; to fall in love; to fall into temptation.
16. To sink into an air of dejection, discontent, anger, sorrow or shame; applied to the countenance or look.
Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Genesis 4.
I have observed of late thy looks are fallen.
17. To happen; to befall; to come.
Since this fortune falls to you.
18. To light on; to come by chance.
The Romans fell on this model by chance.
19. To come; to rush on; to assail.
Fear and dread shall fall on them. Exodus 15.
And fear fell on them all. Acts 19.
20. To come; to arrive.
The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene council fell on the 21st of March, falls now about ten days sooner.
21. To come unexpectedly.
It happened this evening that we fell into a pleasing walk.
22. To begin with haste, ardor or vehemence; to rush or hurry to. They fell to blows.
The mixt multitude fell to lusting. Numbers 11.
23. To pass or be transferred by chance, lot, distribution, inheritance or otherwise, as possession or property. The estate or the province fell to his brother. The kingdom fell into the hands of his rival. A large estate fell to his heirs.
24. To become the property of; to belong or appertain to.
If to her share some female errors fall.
Look in her face; and you'll forget them all.
25. To be dropped or uttered carelessly. Some expressions fell from him. An unguarded expression fell from his lips. Not a word fell from him on the subject.
26. To sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint. Our hopes and fears rise and fall with good or ill success.
27. To be brought forth. Take care of lambs when they first fall.
28. To issue; to terminate.
Sit still, my daughter, till thou knowest how the matter will fall. Ruth 3.
To fall aboard of, to strike against another ship.
To fall astern, to move or be driven backward; or to remain behind. A ship falls astern by the force of a current, or when outsailed by another.
1. To fall away, to lose flesh; to become lean or emaciated; to pine.
2. To renounce or desert allegiance; to revolt or rebel.
3. To renounce or desert the faith; to apostatize; to sink into wickedness.
These for awhile believe, and in time of temptation fall away. Luke 8.
4. To perish; to be ruined; to be lost.
How can the soul - fall away into nothing.
5. To decline gradually; to fade; to languish, or become faint.
One color falls away by just degrees, and another rises insensibly.
1. To fall back, to recede; to give way.
2. To fail of performing a promise or purpose; not to fulfill.
To fall calm, to cease to blow; to become calm.
1. To fall down, to prostrate one's self in worship.
All nations shall fall down before him. Psalms 72.
2. To sink; to come to the ground.
Down fell the beauteous youth.
3. To bend or bow as a suppliant. Isaiah 14.
4. To sail or pass towards the mouth of a river, or other outlet.
To fall foul, to attack; to make an assault.
1. To fall from, to recede from; to depart; not to adhere; as, to fall from an agreement or engagement.
2. To depart from allegiance or duty; to revolt.
1. To fall in, to concur; to agree with. The measure falls in with popular opinion.
2. To comply; to yield to.
You will find it difficult to persuade learned men to fall in with your projects.
3. To come in; to join; to enter. Fall into the ranks; fall in on the right.
To fall in with, to meet, as a ship; also, to discover or come near, as land.
1. To fall off, to withdraw; to separate; to be broken or detached. friends fall off in adversity.
Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide.
2. To perish; to die away. Words fall off by disuse.
3. To apostatize; to forsake; to withdraw from the faith, or from allegiance or duty.
Those captive tribes fell off from God to worship calves.
4. To forsake; to abandon. His subscribers fell off.
5. To drop. Fruits fall off when ripe.
6. To depreciate; to depart from former excellence; to become less valuable or interesting. The magazine or the review falls off; it has fallen off.
7. To deviate or depart from the course directed, or to which the head of the ship was before directed; to fall to leeward.
1. To fall on, to begin suddenly and eagerly.
Fall on, and try thy appetite to eat.
2. To begin an attack; to assault; to assail.
Fall on, fall on and hear him not.
3. To drop on; to descend on.
1. To fall out, to quarrel; to begin to contend.
A soul exasperated in ills, falls out with every thing, its friend, itself -
2. To happen; to befall; to chance.
There fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the mice.
1. To fall over, to revolt; to desert from one side to another.
2. To fall beyond.
To fall short, to be deficient. The corn falls short. We all fall short in duty.
1. To fall to, to begin hastily and eagerly.
Fall to, with eager joy, on homely food.
2. To apply one's self to. He will never after fall to labor.
They fell to raising money, under pretense of the relief of Ireland.
1. To fall under, to come under, or within the limits of; to be subjected to. They fell under the jurisdiction of the emperor.
2. To come under; to become the subject of. This point did not fall under the cognizance or deliberations of the court. These things do not fall under human sight or observation.
3. To come within; to be ranged or reckoned with. These substances fall under a different class or order.
1. To upon, to attack. [See to fall on.]
2. To rush against.
Fall primarily denotes descending motion, either in a perpendicular or inclined direction, and in most of its applications, implies literally or figuratively velocity, haste, suddenness or violence. Its use is so various and so much diversified by modifying words, that it is not easy to enumerate its senses in all its applications.
FALL, v.t.
1. To let fall; to drop. And fall thy edgeless sword. I am willing to fall this argument.
[This application is obsolete.]
2. To sink; to depress; as, to raise or fall the voice.
3. To diminish; to lessen or lower; as, to fall the price of commodities. [Little used.]
4. To bring forth; as, to fall lambs. [Little used.]
5. To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree. [This use is now common in America, and fell and fall are probably from a common root.]
FALL, n.
1. The act of dropping or descending from a higher to a lower place by gravity; descent; as a fall from a horse or from the yard of a ship.
2. The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture. he was walking on ice and had a fall.
3. Death; destruction; overthrow.
Our fathers had a great fall before our enemies.
4. Ruin; destruction.
They conspire thy fall.
5. Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; as the fall of Cardinal Wolsey.
Behold thee glorious only in thy fall.
6. Declension of greatness, power or dominion; ruin; as the fall of the Roman empire.
7. Diminution; decrease of price or value; depreciation; as the fall of prices; the fall of rents; the fall of interest.
8. Declination of sound; a sinking of tone; cadence; as the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence.
9. Declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope.
10. Descent of water; a cascade; a cataract; a rush of water down a steep place; usually in the plural; sometimes in the singular; as the falls of Niagara, or the Mohawk; the fall of the Hoosatonuc at Canaan. Fall is applied to a perpendicular descent, or to one that is very steep. When the descent is moderate, we name it rapids. Custom, however, sometimes deviates from this rule, and the rapids of rivers are called falls.
11. The outlet or 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.
12. Extent of descent; the distance which any thing falls; as, the water of a pond has a fall of five feet.
13. The fall of the leaf; the season when leaves fall from trees; autumn.
14. That which falls; a falling; as a fall of rain or snow.
15. The act of felling or cutting down; as the fall of timber.
16. Fall, or the fall, by way of distinction, the apostasy; the act of our first parents in eating the forbidden fruit; also, the apostasy of the rebellious angels.
17. Formerly, a kind of vail.
18. In seamen's language, the loose end of a tackle.
19. In Great Britain, a term applied to several measures, linear, superficial and solid.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the season when the leaves fall from the trees; "in the fall of 1973" [syn: fall, autumn]
2: a sudden drop from an upright position; "he had a nasty spill on the ice" [syn: spill, tumble, fall]
3: the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve; "women have been blamed ever since the Fall"
4: a downward slope or bend [syn: descent, declivity, fall, decline, declination, declension, downslope] [ant: acclivity, ascent, climb, raise, rise, upgrade]
5: a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity; "a fall from virtue"
6: a sudden decline in strength or number or importance; "the fall of the House of Hapsburg" [syn: fall, downfall] [ant: rise]
7: a movement downward; "the rise and fall of the tides" [ant: ascension, ascent, rise, rising]
8: the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions); "they were protected until the capitulation of the fort" [syn: capitulation, fall, surrender]
9: the time of day immediately following sunset; "he loved the twilight"; "they finished before the fall of night" [syn: twilight, dusk, gloaming, gloam, nightfall, evenfall, fall, crepuscule, crepuscle]
10: when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat [syn: fall, pin]
11: a free and rapid descent by the force of gravity; "it was a miracle that he survived the drop from that height" [syn: drop, fall]
12: a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity; "a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index"; "there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery"; "a dip in prices"; "when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall" [syn: drop, dip, fall, free fall] v
1: descend in free fall under the influence of gravity; "The branch fell from the tree"; "The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse"
2: move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way; "The temperature is going down"; "The barometer is falling"; "The curtain fell on the diva"; "Her hand went up and then fell again" [syn: descend, fall, go down, come down] [ant: arise, ascend, come up, go up, lift, move up, rise, uprise]
3: pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind; "fall into a trap"; "She fell ill"; "They fell out of favor"; "Fall in love"; "fall asleep"; "fall prey to an imposter"; "fall into a strange way of thinking"; "she fell to pieces after she lost her work"
4: come under, be classified or included; "fall into a category"; "This comes under a new heading" [syn: fall, come]
5: fall from clouds; "rain, snow and sleet were falling"; "Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum" [syn: precipitate, come down, fall]
6: suffer defeat, failure, or ruin; "We must stand or fall"; "fall by the wayside"
7: die, as in battle or in a hunt; "Many soldiers fell at Verdun"; "Several deer have fallen to the same gun"; "The shooting victim fell dead"
8: touch or seem as if touching visually or audibly; "Light fell on her face"; "The sun shone on the fields"; "The light struck the golden necklace"; "A strange sound struck my ears" [syn: fall, shine, strike]
9: be captured; "The cities fell to the enemy"
10: occur at a specified time or place; "Christmas falls on a Monday this year"; "The accent falls on the first syllable"
11: decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" [syn: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall] [ant: increase]
12: yield to temptation or sin; "Adam and Eve fell"
13: lose office or power; "The government fell overnight"; "The Qing Dynasty fell with Sun Yat-sen"
14: to be given by assignment or distribution; "The most difficult task fell on the youngest member of the team"; "The onus fell on us"; "The pressure to succeed fell on the youngest student"
15: move in a specified direction; "The line of men fall forward"
16: be due; "payments fall on the 1st of the month"
17: lose one's chastity; "a fallen woman"
18: to be given by right or inheritance; "The estate fell to the oldest daughter"
19: come into the possession of; "The house accrued to the oldest son" [syn: accrue, fall]
20: fall to somebody by assignment or lot; "The task fell to me"; "It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims" [syn: fall, light]
21: be inherited by; "The estate fell to my sister"; "The land returned to the family"; "The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead" [syn: fall, return, pass, devolve]
22: slope downward; "The hills around here fall towards the ocean"
23: lose an upright position suddenly; "The vase fell over and the water spilled onto the table"; "Her hair fell across her forehead" [syn: fall, fall down]
24: drop oneself to a lower or less erect position; "She fell back in her chair"; "He fell to his knees"
25: fall or flow in a certain way; "This dress hangs well"; "Her long black hair flowed down her back" [syn: hang, fall, flow]
26: assume a disappointed or sad expression; "Her face fell when she heard that she would be laid off"; "his crest fell"
27: be cast down; "his eyes fell"
28: come out; issue; "silly phrases fell from her mouth"
29: be born, used chiefly of lambs; "The lambs fell in the afternoon"
30: begin vigorously; "The prisoners fell to work right away"
31: go as if by falling; "Grief fell from our hearts"
32: come as if by falling; "Night fell"; "Silence fell" [syn: fall, descend, settle]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (fell; fallen; falling) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English feallan; akin to Old High German fallan to fall and perhaps to Lithuanian pulti Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. to descend freely by the force of gravity b. to hang freely <her hair falls over her shoulders> c. to drop oneself to a lower position <fell to his knees> d. to come or go as if by falling <darkness falls early in the winter> 2. to become born — usually used of lambs 3. a. to become lower in degree or level <the temperature fell 10°> b. to drop in pitch or volume <their voices fell to a whisper> c. issue 1a, b <wisdom that fell from his lips> d. to become lowered <her eyes fell> 4. a. to leave an erect position suddenly and involuntarily <slipped and fell on the ice> b. to enter as if unawares ; stumble, stray <fell into error> c. to drop down wounded or dead; especially to die in battle d. to suffer military capture <after a long siege the city fell> e. to lose office <the party fell from power> f. to suffer ruin, defeat, or failure <the deal fell through> 5. to commit an immoral act; especially to lose one's chastity 6. a. to move or extend in a downward direction <the land falls away to the east> b. subside, abate <the wind is falling> c. to decline in quality, activity, or quantity <production fell off> d. to lose weight — used with off or away e. to assume a look of shame, disappointment, or dejection <his face fell> f. to decline in financial value or price <stocks fell sharply> 7. a. to occur at a certain time <her birthday falls on a Monday this year> b. to come by chance <a job that fell into his hands> c. to come or pass by lot, assignment, or inheritance ; devolve <it fell to him to break the news> d. to have a certain or proper position, place, or station <the accent falls on the second syllable> 8. to come within the limits, scope, or jurisdiction of something <this word falls into the class of verbs> 9. to pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind or a new state or condition <fall asleep> <fall in love> 10. to set about heartily or actively <fell to work> 11. strike, impinge <music falling on the ear> transitive verb fell 1 II. noun Date: 13th century 1. the act of falling by the force of gravity 2. a. a falling out, off, or away ; dropping <the fall of leaves> <a fall of snow> b. the season when leaves fall from trees ; autumn c. a thing or quantity that falls or has fallen <a fall of rock at the base of the cliff>; especially one or more meteorites or their fragments that have fallen together d. (1) birth (2) the quantity born — usually used of lambs 3. a. a costume decoration of lace or thin fabric arranged to hang loosely and gracefully b. a very wide turned-down collar worn in the 17th century c. the part of a turnover collar from the crease to the outer edge d. a wide front flap on trousers (as those worn by sailors) e. the freely hanging lower edge of the skirt of a coat f. one of the three outer and often drooping segments of the flower of an iris g. long hair overhanging the face of dogs of some breeds h. a usually long straight portion of hair that is attached to a person's own hair 4. a hoisting-tackle rope or chain; especially the part of it to which the power is applied 5. a. loss of greatness ; collapse <the fall of the Roman Empire> b. the surrender or capture of a besieged place <the fall of Troy> c. lapse or departure from innocence or goodness d. loss of a woman's chastity e. the blame for a failure or misdeed <took the fall for the robbery> 6. a. the downward slope (as of a hill) ; declivity b. a precipitous descent of water ; waterfall — usually used in plural but sing. or plural in constr. c. a musical cadence d. a falling-pitch intonation in speech 7. a decrease in size, quantity, degree, or value 8. a. the distance which something falls b. inclination, pitch 9. a. the act of felling something b. the quantity of trees cut down c. (1) an act of forcing a wrestler's shoulders to the mat for a specified time (as one second) (2) a bout of wrestling 10. Scottish destiny, lot III. adjective Date: 1677 of, relating to, or suitable for autumn <a new fall coat>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v.intr. (past fell; past part. fallen) 1 a go or come down freely; descend rapidly from a higher to a lower level (fell from the top floor; rain was falling). b drop or be dropped (supplies fell by parachute; the curtain fell). 2 a (often foll. by over) cease to stand; come suddenly to the ground from loss of balance etc. b collapse forwards or downwards esp. of one's own volition (fell into my arms; fell over the chair). 3 become detached and descend or disappear. 4 take a downward direction: a (of hair, clothing, etc.) hang down. b (of ground etc.) slope. c (foll. by into) (of a river etc.) discharge into. 5 a find a lower level; sink lower. b subside, abate. 6 (of a barometer, thermometer, etc.) show a lower reading. 7 occur; become apparent or present (darkness fell). 8 decline, diminish (demand is falling; standards have fallen). 9 a (of the face) show dismay or disappointment. b (of the eyes or a glance) look downwards. 10 a lose power or status (the government will fall). b lose esteem, moral integrity, etc. 11 commit sin; yield to temptation. 12 take or have a particular direction or place (his eye fell on me; the accent falls on the first syllable). 13 a find a place; be naturally divisible (the subject falls into three parts). b (foll. by under, within) be classed among. 14 occur at a specified time (Easter falls early this year). 15 come by chance or duty (it fell to me to answer). 16 a pass into a specified condition (fall into decay; fell ill). b become (fall asleep). 17 a (of a position etc.) be overthrown or captured; succumb to attack. b be defeated; fail. 18 die (fall in battle). 19 (foll. by on, upon) a attack. b meet with. c embrace or embark on avidly. 20 (foll. by to + verbal noun) begin (fell to wondering). 21 (foll. by to) lapse, revert (revenues fall to the Crown). --n. 1 the act or an instance of falling; a sudden rapid descent. 2 that which falls or has fallen, e.g. snow, rocks, etc. 3 the recorded amount of rainfall etc. 4 a decline or diminution. 5 overthrow, downfall (the fall of Rome). 6 a succumbing to temptation. b (the Fall) the sin of Adam and its consequences, as described in Genesis. 7 (of material, land, light, etc.) a downward direction; a slope. 8 (also Fall) US autumn. 9 (esp. in pl.) a waterfall, cataract, or cascade. 10 Mus. a cadence. 11 a a wrestling-bout; a throw in wrestling which keeps the opponent on the ground for a specified time. b a controlled act of falling, esp. as a stunt or in judo etc. 12 a the birth of young of certain animals. b the number of young born. 13 a rope of a hoisting-tackle. Phrases and idioms: fall about colloq. be helpless, esp. with laughter. fall apart (or to pieces) 1 break into pieces. 2 (of a situation etc.) disintegrate; be reduced to chaos. 3 lose one's capacity to cope. fall away 1 (of a surface) incline abruptly. 2 become few or thin; gradually vanish. 3 desert, revolt; abandon one's principles. fall back retreat. fall-back (attrib.) emergency, esp. (of wages) the minimum paid when no work is available. fall back on have recourse to in difficulty. fall behind 1 be outstripped by one's competitors etc.; lag. 2 be in arrears. fall down (often foll. by on) colloq. fail; perform poorly; fail to deliver (payment etc.). fall for colloq. 1 be captivated or deceived by. 2 admire; yield to the charms or merits of. fall foul of come into conflict with; quarrel with. fall guy sl. 1 an easy victim. 2 a scapegoat. fall in 1 a take one's place in military formation. b (as int.) the order to do this. 2 collapse inwards. falling star a meteor. fall in love see LOVE. fall into line 1 take one's place in the ranks. 2 conform or collaborate with others. fall into place begin to make sense or cohere. fall in with 1 meet by chance. 2 agree with; accede to; humour. 3 coincide with. fall off 1 (of demand etc.) decrease, deteriorate. 2 withdraw. fall-off n. a decrease, deterioration, withdrawal, etc. fall out 1 quarrel. 2 (of the hair, teeth, etc.) become detached. 3 Mil. come out of formation. 4 result; come to pass; occur. fall out of gradually discontinue (a habit etc.). fall over oneself colloq. 1 be eager or competitive. 2 be awkward, stumble through haste, confusion, etc. fall-pipe a downpipe. fall short 1 be or become deficient or inadequate. 2 (of a missile etc.) not reach its target. fall short of fail to reach or obtain. fall through fail; come to nothing; miscarry. fall to begin an activity, e.g. eating or working. Etymology: OE fallan, feallan f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fall Fall (f[add]l), v. i. [imp. Fell; p. p. Fallen; p. pr. & vb. n. Falling.] [AS. feallan; akin to D. vallen, OS. & OHG. fallan, G. fallen, Icel. Falla, Sw. falla, Dan. falde, Lith. pulti, L. fallere to deceive, Gr. sfa`llein to cause to fall, Skr. sphal, sphul, to tremble. Cf. Fail, Fell, v. t., to cause to fall.] 1. 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. I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. --Luke x. 18. 2. 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. I fell at his feet to worship him. --Rev. xix. 10. 3. To find a final outlet; to discharge its waters; to empty; -- with into; as, the river Rhone falls into the Mediterranean. 4. To become prostrate and dead; to die; especially, to die by violence, as in battle. A thousand shall fall at thy side. --Ps. xci. 7. He rushed into the field, and, foremost fighting, fell. --Byron. 5. To cease to be active or strong; to die away; to lose strength; to subside; to become less intense; as, the wind falls. 6. To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; -- said of the young of certain animals. --Shak. 7. 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. I am a poor falle man, unworthy now To be thy lord and master. --Shak. The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished. --Sir J. Davies. 8. To be overthrown or captured; to be destroyed. Heaven and earth will witness, If Rome must fall, that we are innocent. --Addison. 9. 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. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. --Heb. iv. 11. 10. To become insnared or embarrassed; to be entrapped; to be worse off than before; asm to fall into error; to fall into difficulties. 11. To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; -- said of the countenance. Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. --Gen. iv. 5. I have observed of late thy looks are fallen. --Addison. 12. To sink; to languish; to become feeble or faint; as, our spirits rise and fall with our fortunes. 13. 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. 14. To happen; to to come to pass; to light; to befall; to issue; to terminate. The Romans fell on this model by chance. --Swift. Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall. --Ruth. iii. 18. They do not make laws, they fall into customs. --H. Spencer. 15. To come; to occur; to arrive. The vernal equinox, which at the Nicene Council fell on the 21st of March, falls now [1694] about ten days sooner. --Holder. 16. To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows. They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul. --Jowett (Thucyd. ). 17. 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. 18. To belong or appertain. If to her share some female errors fall, Look on her face, and you'll forget them all. --Pope. 19. To be dropped or uttered carelessly; as, an unguarded expression fell from his lips; not a murmur fell from him. To fall abroad of (Naut.), to strike against; -- applied to one vessel coming into collision with another. To fall among, to come among accidentally or unexpectedly. To fall astern (Naut.), to move or be driven backward; to be left behind; as, a ship falls astern by the force of a current, or when outsailed by another. To fall away. (a) To lose flesh; to become lean or emaciated; to pine. (b) To renounce or desert allegiance; to revolt or rebel. (c) To renounce or desert the faith; to apostatize. ``These . . . for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.'' --Luke viii. 13. (d) To perish; to vanish; to be lost. ``How . . . can the soul . . . fall away into nothing?'' --Addison. (e) To decline gradually; to fade; to languish, or become faint. ``One color falls away by just degrees, and another rises insensibly.'' --Addison. To fall back. (a) To recede or retreat; to give way. (b) To fail of performing a promise or purpose; not to fulfill. To fall back upon. (a) (Mil.) To retreat for safety to (a stronger position in the rear, as to a fort or a supporting body of troops). (b) To have recourse to (a reserved fund, or some available expedient or support). To fall calm, to cease to blow; to become calm. To fall down. (a) To prostrate one's self in worship. ``All kings shall fall down before him.'' --Ps. lxxii. 11. (b) To sink; to come to the ground. ``Down fell the beauteous youth.'' --Dryden. (c) To bend or bow, as a suppliant. (d) (Naut.) To sail or drift toward the mouth of a river or other outlet. To fall flat, to produce no response or result; to fail of the intended effect; as, his speech fell flat. To fall foul of. (a) (Naut.) To have a collision with; to become entangled with (b) To attack; to make an assault upon. To fall from, to recede or depart from; not to adhere to; as, to fall from an agreement or engagement; to fall from allegiance or duty. To fall from grace (M. E. Ch.), to sin; to withdraw from the faith. To fall home (Ship Carp.), to curve inward; -- said of the timbers or upper parts of a ship's side which are much within a perpendicular. To fall in. (a) To sink inwards; as, the roof fell in. (b) (Mil.) To take one's proper or assigned place in line; as, to fall in on the right. (c) To come to an end; to terminate; to lapse; as, on the death of Mr. B., the annuuity, which he had so long received, fell in. (d) To become operative. ``The reversion, to which he had been nominated twenty years before, fell in.'' --Macaulay. To fall into one's hands, to pass, often suddenly or unexpectedly, into one's ownership or control; as, to spike cannon when they are likely to fall into the hands of the enemy. To fall in with. (a) To meet with accidentally; as, to fall in with a friend. (b) (Naut.) To meet, as a ship; also, to discover or come near, as land. (c) To concur with; to agree with; as, the measure falls in with popular opinion. (d) To comply; to yield to. ``You will find it difficult to persuade learned men to fall in with your projects.'' --Addison. To fall off. (a) To drop; as, fruits fall off when ripe. (b) To withdraw; to separate; to become detached; as, friends fall off in adversity. ``Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide.'' --Shak. (c) To perish; to die away; as, words fall off by disuse. (d) To apostatize; to forsake; to withdraw from the faith, or from allegiance or duty. Those captive tribes . . . fell off From God to worship calves. --Milton. (e) To forsake; to abandon; as, his customers fell off. (f) To depreciate; to change for the worse; to deteriorate; to become less valuable, abundant, or interesting; as, a falling off in the wheat crop; the magazine or the review falls off. ``O Hamlet, what a falling off was there!'' --Shak. (g) (Naut.) To deviate or trend to the leeward of the point to which the head of the ship was before directed; to fall to leeward. To fall on. (a) To meet with; to light upon; as, we have fallen on evil days. (b) To begin suddenly and eagerly. ``Fall on, and try the appetite to eat.'' --Dryden. (c) To begin an attack; to assault; to assail. ``Fall on, fall on, and hear him not.'' --Dryden. (d) To drop on; to descend on. To fall out. (a) To quarrel; to begin to contend. A soul exasperated in ills falls out With everything, its friend, itself. --Addison. (b) To happen; to befall; to chance. ``There fell out a bloody quarrel betwixt the frogs and the mice.'' --L'Estrange. (c) (Mil.) To leave the ranks, as a soldier. To fall over. (a) To revolt; to desert from one side to another. (b) To fall beyond. --Shak. To fall short, to be deficient; as, the corn falls short; they all fall short in duty. To fall through, to come to nothing; to fail; as, the engageent has fallen through. To fall to, to begin. ``Fall to, with eager joy, on homely food.'' --Dryden. To fall under. (a) To come under, or within the limits of; to be subjected to; as, they fell under the jurisdiction of the emperor. (b) To come under; to become the subject of; as, this point did not fall under the cognizance or deliberations of the court; these things do not fall under human sight or observation. (c) To come within; to be ranged or reckoned with; to be subordinate to in the way of classification; as, these substances fall under a different class or order. To fall upon. (a) To attack. [See To fall on.] (b) To attempt; to have recourse to. ``I do not intend to fall upon nice disquisitions.'' --Holder. (c) To rush against. Note: Fall primarily denotes descending motion, either in a perpendicular or inclined direction, and, in most of its applications, implies, literally or figuratively, velocity, haste, suddenness, or violence. Its use is so various, and so mush diversified by modifying words, that it is not easy to enumerate its senses in all its applications.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fall Fall, n. 1. 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. 2. The act of dropping or tumbling from an erect posture; as, he was walking on ice, and had a fall. 3. Death; destruction; overthrow; ruin. They thy fall conspire. --Denham. Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. --Prov. xvi. 18. 4. Downfall; degradation; loss of greatness or office; termination of greatness, power, or dominion; ruin; overthrow; as, the fall of the Roman empire. Beholds thee glorious only in thy fall. --Pope. 5. The surrender of a besieged fortress or town; as, the fall of Sebastopol. 6. Diminution or decrease in price or value; depreciation; as, the fall of prices; the fall of rents. 7. A sinking of tone; cadence; as, the fall of the voice at the close of a sentence. 8. Declivity; the descent of land or a hill; a slope. 9. 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. 10. 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. --Addison. 11. Extent of descent; the distance which anything falls; as, the water of a stream has a fall of five feet. 12. The season when leaves fall from trees; autumn. What crowds of patients the town doctor kills, Or how, last fall, he raised the weekly bills. --Dryden. 13. That which falls; a falling; as, a fall of rain; a heavy fall of snow. 14. The act of felling or cutting down. ``The fall of timber.'' --Johnson. 15. 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. 16. Formerly, a kind of ruff or band for the neck; a falling band; a faule. --B. Jonson. 17. That part (as one of the ropes) of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting. Fall herring (Zo["o]l.), a herring of the Atlantic (Clupea mediocris); -- also called tailor herring, and hickory shad. To try a fall, to try a bout at wrestling. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fall Fall, v. t. 1. To let fall; to drop. [Obs.] For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds. --Shak. 2. To sink; to depress; as, to fall the voice. [Obs.] 3. To diminish; to lessen or lower. [Obs.] Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities. --Locke. 4. To bring forth; as, to fall lambs. [R.] --Shak. 5. To fell; to cut down; as, to fall a tree. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(falls, falling, fell, fallen) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If someone or something falls, they move quickly downwards onto or towards the ground, by accident or because of a natural force. Her father fell into the sea after a massive heart attack... Bombs fell in the town... I ought to seal the boxes up. I don't want the books falling out... Twenty people were injured by falling masonry. VERB: V prep, V, V out/off, V-ing • Fall is also a noun. The helmets are designed to withstand impacts equivalent to a fall from a bicycle. N-COUNT: oft N from n 2. If a person or structure that is standing somewhere falls, they move from their upright position, so that they are then lying on the ground. The woman gripped the shoulders of her man to stop herself from falling... We watched buildings fall on top of people and pets... He lost his balance and fell backwards. VERB: V, V prep/adv, V prep/adv • Fall is also a noun. Mrs Briscoe had a bad fall last week. N-COUNT • Fall down means the same as fall. I hit him so hard he fell down... Children jumped from upper floors as the building fell down around them. PHRASAL VERB: V P, V P • fallen A number of roads have been blocked by fallen trees. ADJ: ADJ n 3. When rain or snow falls, it comes down from the sky. Winds reached up to 100mph in some places with an inch of rain falling within 15 minutes. VERB: V • Fall is also a noun. One night there was a heavy fall of snow. N-COUNT: N of n see also rainfall, snowfall 4. If you fall somewhere, you allow yourself to drop there in a hurried or disorganized way, often because you are very tired. Totally exhausted, he tore his clothes off and fell into bed... VERB: V prep 5. If something falls, it decreases in amount, value, or strength. Output will fall by 6%... Her weight fell to under seven stones... Between July and August, oil product prices fell 0.2 per cent... The number of prosecutions has stayed static and the rate of convictions has fallen. ...a time of falling living standards and emerging mass unemployment. = drop ? rise VERB: V by n, V to/from n, V amount, V, V-ing • Fall is also a noun. There was a sharp fall in the value of the pound. N-COUNT: usu sing 6. If a powerful or successful person falls, they suddenly lose their power or position. There's a danger of the government falling because it will lose its majority... The moment Mrs Thatcher fell from power has left a lasting imprint on the world's memory. VERB: V, V from n • Fall is also a noun. Following the fall of the military dictator in March, the country has had a civilian government... ? rise N-SING: with poss 7. If a place falls in a war or election, an enemy army or a different political party takes control of it. Croatian army troops retreated from northern Bosnia and the area fell to the Serbs... With the announcement 'Paphos has fallen!' a cheer went up from the assembled soldiers. VERB: V to n, V • Fall is also a noun. ...the fall of Rome. N-SING: usu N of n 8. If someone falls in battle, they are killed. (LITERARY) Another wave of troops followed the first, running past those who had fallen. VERB: V 9. You can use fall to show that someone or something passes into another state. For example, if someone falls ill, they become ill, and if something falls into disrepair, it is then in a state of disrepair. It is almost impossible to visit Florida without falling in love with the state... I took Moira to the cinema, where she fell asleep... Almost without exception these women fall victim to exploitation. V-LINK: V in/into/out of n, V adj, V n 10. If you say that something or someone falls into a particular group or category, you mean that they belong in that group or category. The problems generally fall into two categories... Both women fall into the highest-risk group. VERB: V into n, V into n 11. If the responsibility or blame for something falls on someone, they have to take the responsibility or the blame for it. (WRITTEN) That responsibility falls on the local office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees... VERB: V on n 12. If a celebration or other special event falls on a particular day or date, it happens to be on that day or date. ...the oddly named Quasimodo Sunday which falls on the first Sunday after Easter. VERB: V on n 13. When light or shadow falls on something, it covers it. Nancy, out of the corner of her eye, saw the shadow that suddenly fell across the doorway. VERB: V across/over/on n 14. If someone's hair or a garment falls in a certain way, it hangs downwards in that way. ...a slender boy with black hair falling across his forehead. VERB: V prep/adv 15. If you say that someone's eyes fell on something, you mean they suddenly noticed it. (WRITTEN) As he laid the flowers on the table, his eye fell upon a note in Grace's handwriting. VERB: V on/upon n 16. When night or darkness falls, night begins and it becomes dark. As darkness fell outside, they sat down to eat at long tables. VERB: V 17. You can refer to a waterfall as the falls. ...panoramic views of the falls. ...Niagara Falls. N-PLURAL; N-IN-NAMES 18. Fall is the season between summer and winter when the weather becomes cooler. (AM; in BRIT, use autumn) He was elected judge in the fall of 1991... The Supreme Court will not hear the case until next fall. N-VAR 19. see also fallen 20. To fall to pieces, or in British English to fall to bits, means the same as to fall apart. At that point the radio handset fell to pieces. PHRASE: V inflects 21. to fall on your feet: see foot to fall foul of: see foul to fall flat: see flat to fall from grace: see grace to fall into place: see place to fall short: see short to fall into the trap: see trap to fall by the wayside: see wayside

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

fol (vb.): The idea of falling is most frequently expressed in Hebrew by naphal, but also by many other words; in Greek by pipto, and its compounds. The uses of the word in Scripture are very varied. There is the literal falling by descent; the falling of the countenance in sorrow, shame, anger, etc. (Ge 4:5,6); the falling in battle (Ge 14:10; Nu 14:3, etc.); the falling into trouble, etc. (Pr 24:16,17); prostration in supplication and reverence (Ge 17:3; Nu 14:5, etc.); falling of the Spirit of Yahweh (Eze 11:5; compare 3:24; 8:1); of apostasy (2Th 2:3; Heb 6:6; Jude 1:24), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) frequently changes "fall" of the King James Version into other words or phrases, as "stumble" (Le 26:37; Ps 64:8; 2Pe 1:10, etc.), "fade" (Isa 33:4), etc.; in Ac 27, the Revised Version (British and American) reads "be cast ashore on rocky ground" for "have fallen upon rocks" (Ac 27:29), "perish" for "fall" (Ac 27:34), "lighting upon" for "falling into" (Ac 27:41).

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Drop, descend, sink, drop down. 2. Be prostrated, fall down. 3. Sink, be lowered, be depressed. 4. Decrease, decline, be diminished, become less, die away. 5. Sin, err, transgress, lapse, trip, trespass, commit a fault, do amiss, go astray. 6. Die, perish, come to destruction. 7. Empty, disembogue, flow, be discharged. 8. Happen, befall, come. 9. Become (sick, asleep, in love, etc.), get. 10. Pass, come, be transferred. 11. Be dropped, be uttered carelessly, drop. II. n. 1. Descent, dropping. 2. Tumble, falling. 3. Cataract, cascade, waterfall. 4. Extent of descent, amount of fall. 5. Destruction, death, ruin, overthrow, downfall. 6. Degradation, loss of eminence. 7. Apostasy, loss of innocence, lapse, declension, slip, going astray, failure. 8. Diminution, decrease, decline. 9. Sinking (of the voice), cadence, close. 10. Discharge (of a river), emptying, disemboguement. 11. Autumn, fall of the leaf. 12. Declivity, slope, inclination.

Moby Thesaurus

Niagara, Scotch mist, Waterloo, abate, abatement, ablate, accept, apostasy, ascend, assail, assault, associate with, attack, autumn, backslide, backsliding, bag, bank, bate, be destroyed, be eaten away, be found, be found wanting, be killed, be lost, be met with, be realized, be unsuccessful, beat down, beating, befall, befriend, begin, belly buster, belly flop, belly whopper, beset, betide, bite the dust, blood rain, bouleversement, bow, break, break up, breakdown, call on, call upon, cannonball, cant, capitulate, capitulation, capsize, capture, careen, cascade, catabasis, cataract, cave in, cease to be, cease to live, cheapen, chignon, chute, clash, climb, collapse, come, come a cropper, come about, come down, come off, come to naught, come to nothing, come to pass, come true, comedown, commence, conquering, conquest, consume, consume away, convulsion, corrode, count on, crash, crash dive, cropper, crumble, crumble to dust, crumple, culbute, cut, cut prices, daggle, dangle, deathblow, debacle, debasement, decadence, decadency, decay, decease, deceleration, declension, declination, decline, decline and fall, declivity, decrease, decrescendo, defeat, deflate, deflation, defluxion, deformation, degeneracy, degenerate, degenerateness, degeneration, degradation, deliquesce, demotion, depart, depart this life, depend, depravation, depravedness, depreciate, depreciation, derogation, descend, descending, descension, descent, destruction, deteriorate, deterioration, devaluate, devolution, die, die away, die down, differ, diminish, diminuendo, diminution, dip, dip down, disagree, disappoint, disintegrate, dispute, dive, down, downbend, downcome, downcurve, downfall, downflow, downgate, downgrade, downhill, downpour, downrush, downtrend, downturn, downward mobility, downward trend, drabble, drag, draggle, drape, draw back, drizzle, droop, drop, drop dead, drop down, drop off, dropping, drubbing, drum, dwindle, dwindling, dying, ebb, eclipse, effeteness, employ, erode, err, evening mist, eventuate, expire, fade, fading, fail, failing, failure, failure of nerve, fall again into, fall asleep, fall away, fall back, fall behind, fall dead, fall down, fall flat, fall for, fall from grace, fall headlong, fall in, fall in price, fall in with, fall of Adam, fall of man, fall off, fall out, fall over, fall prostrate, fall short, fall stillborn, fall through, fall to, fall to pieces, falling, falling-off, falls, false hair, fight, fizzle out, flap, flop, flounder, flow, flurry, force, forced landing, fragment, gainer, get a cropper, get cracking, get moving, get under way, give in, give up, give way, go, go about, go along with, go astray, go down, go downhill, go off, go out, go to pieces, go to ruin, go to smash, go under, go uphill, go wrong, gout of rain, grade, gravitate, gravitation, hang, hang down, hanging, hap, happen, harvest, harvest home, harvest time, have a relapse, have enough, have recourse to, header, hiding, hit a slump, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, inclination, incline, involution, jackknife, jew down, join, keel, keel over, lag, lambasting, languish, lapse, lapse back, lathering, lay an egg, lean, lessen, let up, lick the dust, licking, linn, list, lop, lose, lose altitude, lose out, lose the day, loss of tone, lower, lowering, lurch, make use of, mark down, mastery, melt away, miscarry, miss, mist, misty rain, mizzle, moderate, moisture, nappe, nod, nose dive, nose-dive, nosedive, occur, overcoming, overthrow, overturn, parachute, parachute jump, pare, part, pass, pass away, pass off, pass on, pass over, patter, pelt, pend, perish, pitch, pitter-patter, plop, plummet, plummeting, plump, plunge, plunk, pounce, pounce on, pounce upon, pour, pour down, pour with rain, power dive, pratfall, precipitate, precipitation, prostration, put off mortality, quarrel, quietus, quit this world, rain, rain tadpoles, raindrop, rainfall, rainwater, rake, rapids, rat, reach the depths, recede, recidivate, recidivation, recidivism, recur to, reduce, regress, regression, relapse, relent, remission, resort to, retire, retreat, retrocession, retrogradation, retrogression, return to, return to dust, revert, revert to, rise, ruin, run down, run low, running dive, sabotage, sag, sault, say uncle, seizure, set about, set upon, settle, shatter, shave, sheet of rain, shelve, shower, shower down, shrink, sidle, sin of Adam, sink, sink back, sinking, skid, skin-dive, sky dive, sky-dive, slacken, slant, slash, slide, slide back, slip, slip back, slippage, slope, slowdown, slump, smash, sound, spatter, spill, spit, splatter, spout, sprawl, spread-eagle, sprinkle, squabble, stagger, start, stationary dive, stoop, stop breathing, storm, stream, strike, stumble, subdual, subduing, subjugation, submission, submit, subside, subsidence, subversion, succumb, succumb to, support, surrender, swag, swallow, swan dive, sway, swing, switch, swoop, swoop down, tackle, tail off, tailspin, take a fall, take a flop, take a header, take a pratfall, take a spill, take on, take place, take the count, taking, tattoo, thrashing, tilt, tip, topple, topple down, topple over, totter, touch bottom, trail, transpire, trend downward, trim, trimming, trip, trouncing, tumble, turn turtle, undertake, undoing, unfrozen hydrometeor, up and die, upheaval, uprise, upset, use, vanquishment, wane, waste, waste away, waterfall, watershoot, wear, wear away, weep, wet, whipping, withdraw, wrangle, yield, yield again to, yield the ghost