fall off
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fall off
Where it comes from
From fall + off; and also dissimilated from Middle English offallen (“to destroy, defeat, ruin, fail”), from Old English offeallan (“to fall upon, destroy”).
verb falls off · falling off · fell off · fallen off
- To become detached or to drop from. A button fell off my coat.
- To diminish in size, value, etc.; to get worse (in quality). Business always falls off in the winter.
- To change the direction of a sail so as to point in a direction that is more down wind; to bring the bow leeward. 'Why d'ye see, Captain Vangs,' says bold Jack, 'I'm as good a helmsman as ever put hand to spoke; but none of us can steer the old lady now. We can't keep her full and bye, sir; watch her ever so close, she will fall off and then, sir, when I put the helm down so gently, and try like to coax her to
- To fall into sin; to stray. I am bound to say that no one has fallen off so frequently as myself. I have renounced the devil and all his works; but it is by word of mouth only—by word of mouth only.
noun fall offs
- Alternative form of falloff.falloff
