Word: fall Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Verb from Middle English fallen, from Old English feallan (“to fall, fail, decay, die, attack”), from Proto-West Germanic *fallan (“to fall”), from Proto-Germanic *fallaną (“to fall”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃elh₁- (“to collapse, fall; to destroy”). Cognates Cognate with Scots faw (“to fall”), Yola vale, vall, vole (“to fall”), North Frisian faal, fåle (“to fall”), Saterland Frisian faale (“to fall”), West Frisian falle (“to fall”), Bavarian foin (“to fall”), Cimbrian ballan, vallan (“to fall”), Dutch vallen (“to fall”), German and Low German fallen (“to fall”), Luxembourgish falen (“to fall”), Yiddish פֿאַלן (faln, “to fall”), Danish falde (“to fall”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Swedish falla (“to fall”), Norwegian Bokmål falle (“to fall”), Norwegian Nynorsk falla, falle (“to fall”); also Latin aboleō (“to destroy; to die”), Ancient Greek ὄλλῡμι (óllūmi, “to destroy; to lose”), Armenian եղեռն (eġeṙn, “crime; calamity, catastrophe; slaughter”), Lithuanian pùlti (“to fall; to attack, assault”). Noun from Middle English fal, fall, falle, from Old English feall, ġefeall (“a falling, fall”) and Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”). Cognate with Yola vall (“fall”), Dutch val (“fall”), German Fall (“fall”), Danish fald (“fall”), Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fall (“fall”). Sense of "autumn" is attested by the 1660s in England as a shortening of fall of the leaf (1540s), from the falling of leaves during this season. Along with autumn, it mostly replaced the older name harvest as that name began to be associated strictly with the act of harvesting. Compare spring, which began as a shortening of “spring of the leaf”. Pronunciation: /fɔːl/, /foːl/, /fɔl/, /faːl/, /fɑl/ 1. To be moved downwards. Labels: intransitive Example: Thrown from a cliff, the stone fell 100 feet before hitting the ground. Example: I fell unconscious on the floor. 2. To be moved downwards. Labels: intransitive Example: The rain fell at dawn. Example: Her eyes fell on the table, and she advanced into the room wiping her hands on her apron. 3. To be moved downwards. Labels: intransitive Example: Once or twice a noise fell upon his quick ear, and we halted, he standing revolver in hand in an attitude of defense. Each time, however, we ascertained that we had no occasion for alarm, the noise being made by some animal or bird ... Example: And then a sudden calm fell on us like a cloud of fear. There! on the table, lay the Jewel of Seven Stars, shining and sparkling with lurid light, as though each of the seven points of each of the seven stars gleamed through blood! 4. To be moved downwards. Labels: intransitive Example: He fell to the floor and begged for mercy. 5. To be moved downwards. Labels: intransitive 6. To move downwards. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: For every tear he falls, a Trojan bleeds. Example: Ghoaſt [of Clarence]. […] / To morrow in the battaile thinke on me, / And fall thy edgeleſſe ſword, diſpaire and die. 7. To move downwards. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: to fall the voice 8. To move downwards. Labels: UK, US, archaic, dialectal, transitive Example: to fall a tree 9. To change, often negatively. Labels: copulative, intransitive Example: Near-synonyms: become, get, go, turn, come, grow, wax Example: She has fallen ill. 10. To change, often negatively. Labels: intransitive Example: Rome fell to the Goths in 410 AD. 11. To change, often negatively. Labels: euphemistic, formal, intransitive Example: This is a monument to all those who fell in the First World War. 12. To change, often negatively. Labels: intransitive Example: The candidate's poll ratings fell abruptly after the banking scandal. Example: The greatness of these Irish lords suddenly fell and vanished. 13. To occur (on a certain day of the week, date, or similar); to happen. Example: Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday. Example: Last year, Commencement fell on June 3. 14. To be allotted to; to arrive through chance, fate, or inheritance. Labels: intransitive Example: And so it falls to me to make this important decision. Example: The estate fell to his brother. 15. To diminish; to lessen or lower. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: Upon lessening interest to four per cent, you fall the price of your native commodities. 16. To bring forth. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: to fall lambs Example: The shepherd[…]did[…] fall part-colour'd lambs 17. To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; said of the young of certain animals. Labels: intransitive, obsolete Example: As for Calves newly fallen, you must leave them with good Litter of fresh Straw until such qime as the Cows have licked and cleansed them, Example: My intended remarks are on the cords , and wiping dry the newly fallen calf 18. To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin. Labels: intransitive Example: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 19. To become ensnared or entrapped; to be worse off than before. Labels: intransitive Example: to fall into error; to fall into difficulties; to fall into ruin 20. To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; said of the face. Labels: intransitive Example: Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Example: I have observed of late thy looks are fallen. 21. To happen; to come to pass; to chance or light (upon). Labels: intransitive Example: Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall. Example: […]An the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him. 22. To begin with haste, ardour, or vehemence; to rush or hurry. Labels: intransitive Example: After arguing, they fell to blows. Example: They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul. 23. To be dropped or uttered carelessly. Labels: intransitive Example: An unguarded expression fell from his lips. 24. To hang down (under the influence of gravity). Labels: intransitive Example: An Empire-style dress has a high waistline – directly under the bust – from which the dress falls all the way to a hem as low as the floor. Example: Her hair, which curled naturally, fell all over her shoulders. 25. To visit; to go to a place. Labels: intransitive, slang Example: We'll fall over to the club tonight.