drops
drops — noun
1. small separate bits of liquid that form or fall one by one.
small separate bits of liquid that form or fall one by one.
Three drops of paint landed on the white tile floor.
drops of + liquid
Cold drops of water ran down Diego's neck after practice.
A few drops of blood marked the bandage on Nora's knee.
Tiny drops of oil shone on top of the noodle soup.
- drops of water
- drops of blood
- drops of oil
Grammar Patterns
drops of + liquid
2. liquid medicine that is used or measured a few drops at a time.
liquid medicine that is used or measured a few drops at a time.
The nurse warmed the eye drops in her hand before using them.
eye drops
The doctor told Ilan to take six drops after dinner.
take + number + drops
Shirin keeps the allergy drops beside the bathroom mirror.
Ari forgot the nose drops in the hotel room.
- eye drops
- nose drops
- allergy drops
- liquid medicine
broader phrase that does not always imply drop-by-drop use
- eye drops
specific to medicine used in the eyes
Grammar Patterns
take + number + drops
eye/nose/allergy drops
Usage Note
Often refers to medicine used in the eyes, nose, or ears, or to a measured amount taken by mouth.
3. reductions in level, amount, price, or quality.
reductions in level, amount, price, or quality.
Fuel price drops helped the bakery cut delivery costs this month.
price drops
Sharp temperature drops damaged the tomato plants overnight.
temperature drops
Sales drops in winter worry the small beach shops.
The report linked attendance drops to the longer bus route.
- price drops
- temperature drops
- sales drops
- rises
shows movement upward instead of downward
Grammar Patterns
price/temperature/sales drops
4. deliveries of people or supplies sent down from an aircraft or other high place.
deliveries of people or supplies sent down from an aircraft or other high place.
Aid drops reached the flooded village after the bridge collapsed.
aid drops
Night supply drops kept the mountain team warm and fed.
The documentary showed parachute drops over the training field.
parachute drops
Emergency food drops began before the rescue boats arrived.
- aid drops
- supply drops
- food drops
- airdrops
the usual single-word form in military or relief contexts
- deliveries
broader and not limited to items sent from above
Grammar Patterns
aid/supply/food drops
Usage Note
Common in news about war, floods, or rescues, where people or goods are sent down from above.
drops — verb
1. to fall in small separate amounts of liquid, or to let liquid fall that way.
to fall in small separate amounts of liquid, or to let liquid fall that way.
Water drops from the pipe behind the school gym.
drop from + source
Shirin drops honey into the tea one spoon at a time.
drop + liquid + into + container
Thick paint drops slowly from the brush onto the box.
Rain drops through the torn tent roof all night.
- drops from the pipe
- drops into the tea
Grammar Patterns
drop from + source
drop + liquid + into + container
2. to let something fall, or move it from a higher place to a lower one.
to let something fall, or move it from a higher place to a lower one.
Ari drops the keys beside the front door every evening.
drop + object + beside + place
One glove drops from Diego's pocket onto the bus steps.
drop from + place
Nora drops the bag onto the bench and checks the map.
Christopher drops the old flag to half height at noon.
drop + object + to + lower level
- drops the keys
- drops the bag
- drops the flag
- lift
moves something upward instead of downward
Grammar Patterns
drop + object + onto/on/by + place
drop from + place
3. to become lower in number, level, value, or strength, or to make it lower.
to become lower in number, level, value, or strength, or to make it lower.
The temperature drops quickly once the sun moves behind the hill.
drop in level
The store drops the price after the holiday weekend ends.
drop + the price
Attendance drops whenever the last bus leaves before ten.
The coach drops practice time during exam week.
drop + the amount of something
- drops quickly
- drops the price
- drops practice time
Grammar Patterns
drop + in level/number
drop + the price/time
4. to stop doing, using, supporting, or keeping something.
to stop doing, using, supporting, or keeping something.
Diego drops piano lessons after moving to a different district.
drop + activity
The company drops the project when costs rise too fast.
drop + project
Nora drops her old gym after joining one near work.
The paper drops the weekly puzzle to save printing space.
- drops lessons
- drops the project
- drops the puzzle
- keep
means continuing to have or use something
Grammar Patterns
drop + class/project/service
drop + support/member
Usage Note
Common with plans, classes, memberships, products, and other things a person or organization decides not to continue.
5. to take someone or something to a place and leave them there during a short stop
to take someone or something to a place and leave them there during a short stop.
Lea drops the parcel at the post office before class.
drop + item + at + place
The driver drops fresh bread at three village shops.
Aarav drops his son at the music school at eight.
drop + person + at + place
The helicopter drops blankets near the cold river camp.
- drops the parcel
- drops his son
- drops blankets
- collect
means picking someone or something up
Grammar Patterns
drop + person + at + place
drop + item + at + place
Usage Note
Often used for quick errands, school runs, or short delivery stops.
6. to mention something as if it were not important or carefully planned.
to mention something as if it were not important or carefully planned.
Eri drops my name when the manager asks about volunteers.
drop + a name
During dinner, Ari drops a hint about the surprise trip.
drop + a hint
The article drops one clue about next season's cast.
Shirin drops a joke into the tense meeting and people laugh.
drop + a joke
- drops my name
- drops a hint
- drops a joke
Grammar Patterns
drop + a hint
drop + a name/joke/clue
Usage Note
Often appears with hint, name, joke, or clue when the speaker wants to sound casual.
7. to remove a word, sound, or other part from speech or writing.
to remove a word, sound, or other part from speech or writing.
Christopher drops the final g when he sings that line.
drop + sound
Nora drops two commas from the email and changes the tone.
drop + punctuation mark
The editor drops one paragraph to make room for the photo.
drop + paragraph
A younger child drops the t in "next" when speaking fast.
drop + letter in speech
- drops the final g
- drops two commas
- drops one paragraph
- include
means keeping something in
Grammar Patterns
drop + sound/letter
drop + word/paragraph
Usage Note
Common with letters and sounds in speech, and with words or sections in writing or editing.
8. to make a song, product, update, or other new thing available to the public.
to make a song, product, update, or other new thing available to the public.
The band drops a new single on Friday morning.
drop + single
Our app drops the update after the final security check.
drop + update
The studio drops short trailers all week before the premiere.
The author drops a bonus chapter online for subscribers.
- drops a single
- drops the update
- drops trailers
Grammar Patterns
drop + single/update/trailer/chapter
Usage Note
Informal and common in music, entertainment, and online product talk.
9. to move something to a new place on a screen by dragging and then releasing it.
to move something to a new place on a screen by dragging and then releasing it.
Eri drops the photo into the blue folder on screen.
drop + file into + folder
The designer drops the icon beside the search box.
drop + icon beside + element
Christopher drops the file onto the desktop and renames it.
Tariro drops the chart lower on the slide before saving.
- drops the photo into the folder
- drops the icon beside the box
- drops the file onto the desktop
Grammar Patterns
drop + file/photo/icon + into/on/beside + screen area
Usage Note
Used in computing for graphical interfaces where you drag an item and then release it in a new position.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/3
All four words can describe something becoming smaller or lower, but they are not used in exactly the same way. 'Drop' is the most flexible everyday word because it works both intransitively and transitively: prices drop, and shops drop prices. 'Fall' is very common for numbers and temperatures going down, but it is less natural when a person actively causes the change. 'Decline' sounds more formal and is especially common in reports, business writing, and news. 'Reduce' strongly suggests deliberate action by a person or organization. Compare: 'attendance drops in winter', 'the temperature fell overnight', 'sales declined again', and 'the coach reduced practice time'.
Common collocations
Etymology
'Drops' is the plural noun form and the third-person singular verb form of 'drop'. The word goes back to Old English 'dropa', meaning a drop of liquid, and to a related Germanic verb with the idea of dripping or falling little by little. That older picture still fits the modern word well: many later uses grew from the simple image of something moving downward, whether it is water from a pipe, a price on a sign, or a file moved lower on a screen.