a.b. fall

World English Dictionary
fall (fɔːl)
vb (foll by back, behind, etc) (often foll by into, under, etc) , falls, falling, fell, fallen
1.  to descend by the force of gravity from a higher to a lower place
2.  to drop suddenly from an erect position
3.  to collapse to the ground, esp in pieces
4.  to become less or lower in number, quality, etc: prices fell in the summer
5.  to become lower in pitch
6.  to extend downwards: her hair fell to her waist
7.  to be badly wounded or killed
8.  to slope in a downward direction
9.  Christianity to yield to temptation or sin
10.  to diminish in status, estimation, etc
11.  to yield to attack: the city fell under the assault
12.  to lose power: the government fell after the riots
13.  to pass into or take on a specified condition: to fall asleep; fall in love
14.  to adopt a despondent expression: her face fell
15.  to be averted: her gaze fell
16.  to come by chance or presumption: suspicion fell on the butler
17.  to occur; take place: night fell; Easter falls early this year
18.  (of payments) to be due
19.  to be directed to a specific point
20.  to move in a specified direction
21.  to occur at a specified place: the accent falls on the last syllable
22.  (foll by to) to return (to); be inherited (by): the estate falls to the eldest son
23.  to be classified or included: the subject falls into two main areas
24.  to issue forth: a curse fell from her lips
25.  (of animals, esp lambs) to be born
26.  dialect (Brit) to become pregnant
27.  dialect (Austral), (NZ) (tr) to fell (trees)
28.  cricket (of a batsman's wicket) to be taken by the bowling side: the sixth wicket fell for 96
29.  archaic to begin to do: fall a-doing; fall to doing
30.  fall flat to fail to achieve a desired effect
31.  fall foul of
 a.  to come into conflict with
 b.  nautical to come into collision with
32.  fall short
 a.  to prove inadequate
 b.  (often foll by of) to fail to reach or measure up to (a standard)
33.  an act or instance of falling
34.  something that falls: a fall of snow
35.  chiefly (US) autumn
36.  the distance that something falls: a hundred-foot fall
37.  a sudden drop from an upright position
38.  (often plural)
 a.  a waterfall or cataract
 b.  (capital when part of a name): Niagara Falls
39.  a downward slope or decline
40.  a decrease in value, number, etc
41.  a decline in status or importance
42.  a moral lapse or failing
43.  a capture or overthrow: the fall of the city
44.  a long false hairpiece; switch
45.  a piece of loosely hanging material, such as a veil on a hat
46.  machinery, nautical the end of a tackle to which power is applied to hoist it
47.  nautical one of the lines of a davit for holding, lowering, or raising a boat
48.  wrestling Also called: pinfall a scoring move, pinning both shoulders of one's opponent to the floor for a specified period
49.  hunting
 a.  another word for deadfall
 b.  (as modifier): a fall trap
50.  a.  the birth of an animal
 b.  the animals produced at a single birth
51.  slang chiefly (US) take the fall to be blamed, punished, or imprisoned
[Old English feallan; related to Old Norse falla, Old Saxon, Old High German fallan to fall; see fell²]

Fall (fɔːl)
theol the Fall See also original sin Adam's sin of disobedience and the state of innate sinfulness ensuing from this for himself and all mankind

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Word Origin & History

O.E. feallan (class VII strong verb; past tense feoll, pp. feallen), from P.Gmc. *fallanan (cf. O.N. falla, O.H.G. fallan), from PIE base *phol- "to fall" (cf. Armenian p'ul "downfall," Lith. puola "to fall," O.Prus. aupallai "finds," lit. "falls upon"). Noun sense of "autumn" (now only in U.S.) is 1660s,
short for fall of the leaf (1540s). That of "cascade, waterfall" is from 1570s. Most of the figurative senses had developed in M.E. Meaning "to be reduced" (as temperature) is from 1650s. To fall in love is attested from 1520s; to fall asleep is late 14c. Fall guy is from 1906.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

fall definition

  1. in.
    to be arrested; to be charged with a crime. (Underworld. See also fall guy.) : I heard that Mooshoo fell. Is that right?
  2. n.
    one's arrest; being arrested and charged. (Underworld.) : Who took the fall for the bank job?
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw-Hill Education.
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