fall
n 1: the season when the leaves fall from the trees; "in the fall
of 1973" [syn: {autumn}]
2: a sudden drop from an upright position; "he had a nasty
spill on the ice" [syn: {spill}, {tumble}]
3: the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of
Adam and Eve; "women have been blamed ever since the Fall"
[syn: {Fall}]
4: a downward slope [syn: {descent}, {declivity}, {decline}, {downslope}]
[ant: {ascent}]
5: a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity; "a
fall from virtue"
6: a movement downward; "the rise and fall of the tides" [ant:
{rise}]
7: a sudden decline in strength or number or importance; "the
fall of the House of Hapsburg" [syn: {downfall}] [ant: {rise}]
8: the act of surrendering (under agreed conditions); "they
were protected until the capitulation of the fort" [syn: {capitulation},
{surrender}]
9: the time of day immediately following sunset; "he loved the
twilight"; "they finished before the fall of night" [syn:
{twilight}, {dusk}, {gloaming}, {nightfall}, {evenfall}]
10: when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat [syn: {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}, {falling}]
12: a 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" [syn: {drop}]
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 but not necessarily all the way; "The
temperature is going down"; "The barometer is falling";
"Real estate prices are coming down" [syn: {descend}, {go
down}, {come down}] [ant: {rise}, {ascend}]
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"
4: come under, be classified or included; "fall into a
category"; "This comes under a new heading" [syn: {come}]
5: fall from clouds; "rain, snow and sleet were falling" [syn:
{precipitate}, {come down}]
6: suffer defeat, failure, or ruin; "We must stand or fall"
7: die, as in battle or in a hunt; "Many soldiers fell at
Verdun"; "Several deer have fallen to the same gun"
8: touch or seem as if touching; "Light fell on her face"; "The
light struck the golden necklace" [syn: {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 fall to under a
hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" [syn: {decrease},
{diminish}, {lessen}] [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"
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}]
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: {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: {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"
24: drop oneself to a lower or less erect position; "She fell
back in her chair"
25: fall or flow in a certain way; "This dress hangs well"; "Her
long black hair flowed down her back" [syn: {hang}, {flow}]
26: assume a disappointed or sad expression; "Her face fell when
she heard that she would be laid off"
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"