drop in

See also: dropin and drop-in

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

drop in (third-person singular simple present drops in, present participle dropping in, simple past and past participle dropped in)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see drop,‎ in.

   The keys were dropped in the fishbowl.

2. (idiomatic) To arrive casually and unannounced, with little or no warning; also, to visit without an appointment.

   Synonyms: drop by, pop in, stop by, stop in

   Coordinate term: stop off

   I was in the garden covered with mud when my grandmother dropped in for a visit.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner.

   • 1978, Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren (lyrics and music), “I Will Survive”, in Love Tracks, performed by Gloria Gaynor:

     And so you felt like droppin’ in and just expect me to be free / Well, now I'm saving all my lovin’ for someone who's lovin’ me

3. (surfing, intransitive) To paddle into and take off on a wave another surfer is already riding.
   • 2003, Neal Miyake, “The Unwritten Rules of Surfing”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[1], archived from the original on 14 October 2005:

     Most beginners are blissfully unaware that dropping in on someone is a cardinal sin.

4. (intransitive) To fall in; to cave in.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXV, page 54:

     ⁠The cheeks drop in; the body bows;
     Man dies: nor is there hope in dust: […]

5. (transitive, US) To install components, particularly car engines.

   We dropped in all-new parts in the sports car.

Derived terms

• drop-in/drop-out

Noun

drop in (plural drop ins)

1. Alternative spelling of drop-in.

See also

• drop out
• show up

Anagrams

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