drop out
drop out
1. verb To fall or spill out of something. I didn't realize that I hadn't fully zipped my backpack until my books started dropping out of it.
2. verb To break and/or plunge suddenly. This usage typically refers to the bottom of something. The bottom dropped out of the paper bag once it got wet. If the bottom drops out of the stock market, we could have another Great Depression ahead of us.
3. verb To let someone or something fall or proceed out of something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "drop" and "out." Drop the troops out of the plane once you're safely over the compound. Of course the boys got into mischief and started dropping each other's things out the window.
4. verb To eliminate or exclude something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "drop" and "out." Something is wrong with the sound system because it's dropping out every third word.
5. verb To not be amplified, broadcast, or delivered to a receiver, typically due to some kind of connection problem. Something is wrong with the sound system because every third word is dropping out. I have to call my phone company because my calls keep dropping out. Back when we had dial-up, the connection would drop out when we got an incoming call.
6. verb To abandon society and conventional values, as due to disillusionment with them. After surviving a serious illness, my sister dropped out and bought a house in the country instead of going back to her corporate job.
7. verb To leave an activity or program without finishing it. I'm going back to school because I always regretted dropping out of college.
8. noun One who has left school before graduation. In this usage, the phrase is often written as one word or hyphenated. I'm going back to school because I always regretted being a college dropout.
See also: drop, out
turn on, tune in, drop out
A slogan urging people to experiment with psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, in order to perceive the world in new ways and challenge the natural order of society. Popularized by the psychologist Timothy Leary in the 1960s. A: "I'm worried Tom might be getting into drugs." B: "A lot of kids go through a 'turn on, tune in, and drop out' phase, especially during college. I'm sure he'll grow out of it."
See also: drop, out, tune, turn
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
drop out
(of something)1. . Lit. to fall out of something. One by one, the skydivers dropped out of the plane. The marshmallows dropped out of the bag.
2. Lit. or Fig. [for the bottom of something] to break loose and drop. The bottom dropped out of the box, spilling everything everywhere. The bottom dropped out of the stock market, and we lost a lot of money.
3. Fig. [for someone] to resign from or cease being a member of something; [for someone] to leave school. Sally dropped out of school for some unknown reason. But why did she drop out?
See also: drop, out
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
drop out
Withdraw from participation in a group such as a school, club, or game; also, withdraw from society owing to disillusionment. For example, He couldn't afford the membership dues and had to drop out, or She planned to drop out from college for a year. [Late 1800s]
See also: drop, out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
drop out
v.
1. To fall out of something: My card must have dropped out of the bag at some point.
2. To make or let something or someone fall out of something: I dropped the stones out of the window.
3. To withdraw from participation in something, as a game, club, or school: The committee is trying to determine why so many students were dropping out. I dropped out of algebra because it was too hard. I dropped history out of my schedule this term.
4. To withdraw from established society, especially due to disillusionment with conventional values: My cousin dropped out and moved to the tropics.
5. To omit something: This computer drops out the semicolons. The old stereo drops the bass out.
6. To be omitted: When words are contracted, some sounds or letters drop out.
See also: drop, out
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
drop out
1. in. to withdraw from a conventional lifestyle. Sometimes I just want to drop out and raise pigs or something.
2. in. to drop out of school or some organization. Don’t drop out of school. You’ll regret it.
3. and dropout n. someone who has dropped out of school. Dropouts may find it very hard to get a job.
See also: drop, out
dropout
verbSee drop out
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- dropout
- turn on, tune in, drop out
- fix on
- fix on (someone or something)
- cross over
- blow
- blown
- cook out
- biff
- fallout