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falling

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falling


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Falling  \Fall"ing\,  a.  &  n. 
  from  {Fall},  v.  i. 
 
  {Falling  away},  {Falling  off},  etc  See  {To  fall  away},  {To 
  fall  off},  etc.,  under  {Fall},  v.  i. 
 
  {Falling  band},  the  plain,  broad,  linen  collar  turning  down 
  over  the  doublet,  worn  in  the  early  part  of  the  17th 
  century. 
 
  {Falling  sickness}  (Med.),  epilepsy.  --Shak. 
 
  {Falling  star}.  (Astron.)  See  {Shooting  star}. 
 
  {Falling  stone},  a  stone  falling  through  the  atmosphere;  a 
  meteorite;  an  a["e]rolite. 
 
  {Falling  tide},  the  ebb  tide. 
 
  {Falling  weather},  a  rainy  season.  [Colloq.]  --Bartlett. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  falling 
  adj  1:  suddenly  losing  an  upright  position;  "they  ran  from  the 
  falling  tree";  "a  falling  wall  crushed  the  car"  [ant: 
  {standing}] 
  2:  decreasing  in  amount  or  degree;  "falling  temperature" 
  3:  coming  after  the  climax  especially  of  a  dramatic  or 
  narrative  plot;  "the  falling  action"  [ant:  {rising}] 
  4:  becoming  lower  or  less  in  degree  or  value;  "a  falling 
  market";  "falling  incomes"  [ant:  {rising}] 
  5:  coming  down  freely  under  the  influence  of  gravity;  "the 
  eerie  whistle  of  dropping  bombs";  "falling  rain"  [syn:  {dropping}] 
  n  :  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}] 




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