stop Hear it!

stop Definition

stop (stäp)

transitive verb stopped, stop′·ping

Etymology: ME stoppen < OE -stoppian (in comp.) < WGmc stoppōn < VL *stuppare, to stop up, stuff < L stuppa < Gr styppē, tow < IE *stewe-, to thicken, contract > Gr styphein, to contract, Sans stuka, tuft

intransitive verb

  1. to cease moving, walking, proceeding, etc.; halt
  2. to leave off doing something; desist from continuing
  3. to cease operating or functioning
  4. to be able to go no further; come to an end
  5. to become clogged or choked
  6. to tarry or stay for a while, esp. as a transient or guest: often with at or in

noun

  1. a stopping or being stopped; check; arrest; cessation; halt; specif., a pause in speech or at the end of a sense unit in verse
  2. a coming to an end; finish; end
  3. a stay or sojourn
  4. a place stopped at, as on a bus route
  5. an indentation in the face of an animal, esp. a dog, between the forehead and the nose or muzzle
  6. something that stops; obstruction; obstacle; specif.,
    1. a plug or stopper
    2. stop order
    3. an order to withhold payment on a check
    4. a mechanical part that stops, limits, or regulates motion, as a pawl
    5. Chiefly Brit. a punctuation mark, esp. a period
    1. pressure, as of a finger, on a string of a violin, etc. to produce a desired tone
    2. a fret on a guitar, etc.
    1. the closing of a finger hole of a wind instrument to produce a desired tone
    2. such a hole
    1. a tuned set of organ pipes, reeds, or electronic devices of the same specific type and tone quality
    2. a pull, lever, or key for putting such a set or sets into or out of operation
  10. Naut. a piece of line used to secure something
  11. Phonet.
    1. the complete stopping of the outgoing breath, as with the lips, tongue, or velum
    2. a consonant formed in this way, as (p), (b), (t), (d), (k), and (g)
  12. Photog.
    1. the aperture, usually adjustable, of a lens
    2. the f-number

adjective

☆ that stops or is meant to stop a stop signal

stop Idioms

pull out all (the) stops

  1. to play an organ with all the stops in operation
  2. to apply maximum effort; use everything possible

put a stop to

to cause to cease; stop; end

stop down

to reduce the lens aperture by adjustment of the diaphragm

stop off

☆

to stop for a short stay en route to a place

stop out

☆
  1. to interrupt one's education as in order to work
  2. to block out (areas not to be printed or painted) as of a silk-screen design

stop over

☆
  1. to visit for a while
  2. to break a journey, as for rest
stop Synonyms

stop

interj.

cease, knock it off, cut it out, quit it, say, hey there; see also halt 2.

stop Synonyms

stop

n.

  1. A pause

    halt, stay, standstill; see end 2, pause 1, 2.

  2. A stopping place

    station, passenger station, wayside stop; see depot.

pull out all the stops*

go the limit, do everything possible, give it all one has*; see try 1, work 1.

put a stop to

halt, interrupt, intervene; see stop 1.

stop Synonyms

stop

v.

  1. To halt

    pause, stay, stand, lay over, stay over, break the journey, tarry, stand still, shut down, rest, discontinue, come to a halt, come to a standstill, pull up, reach a standstill, check, bivouac, cease marching, hold, stop dead in one's tracks*, stop short*, freeze*, freeze up*, call it a day*, stymie*, box in*, knock on the head*, cut short*; see also end 1.

    Antonyms continue*, proceed, advance.

  2. To cease

    cease, terminate, finish, conclude, quit, withdraw, leave off, let up, pull up, fold up, fetch up, wind up, bring up, relinquish, have done with, desist, refrain, ring down, settle, discontinue, end, close, draw up, tie up, give up, call off, bring up, close down, break up, hold up, pull up, lapse, be at an end, cut out, die away, come off, go out, stay one's hand, run out, defect, surrender, close, peter out*, call it a day*, knock it off*, lay off*, throw in the towel*, belay that*, blow over*, melt away*, drop it*, run out*, write off*, pipe down*, save one's breath*, give over*, run its course*; see also halt 2, suspend 2.

    Antonyms begin*, start, commence.

  3. To prevent

    hinder, obstruct, arrest; see prevent.

  4. To cause to cease

    arrest, check, suspend; see halt 2.

stop implies a suspension or ending of some motion, action, or progress my watch stopped; cease implies a suspension or ending of some state or condition or of an existence the war had ceased, the noise ceased when the train stopped; quit is equivalent to either stopshe quit working for the day or ceasehe quit working at sixty-five and retired to Florida; discontinue suggests the suspension of some action that is a habitual practice, an occupation, etc. he has discontinued the practice of law; desist implies a ceasing of some action that is annoying, harmful, futile, etc. desist from further bickering

stop Usage Examples

Object

  • smoking: Used properly, these products can double the success rate of stopping smoking.

Preposition: on

  • moorings: Stopped on the moorings above the bridge ( £ 3 ) and I had a walk round the village.

Converse of object

  • put: Someone put a stop to it now, please.

Adjective modifier

  • overnight: On the way out, he did the 500 miles from Paris to Turin without an overnight stop ( in 1913!
  • non: Note: Your Movie should be jumping from Frame to Frame non stop.

Modifies a noun

  • smoking: She used, " Zyban, patches, gum, inhalator, NHS stop smoking clinics, newsgroup support, support of my family.
  • shop: The one stop shop for all your insurance needs.

Noun used with modifier

  • bus: CCTV New cameras at bus stops to improve security.
  • pit: How it works: A pit stop is an hour off work.
  • lunch: Then went on to the Swan & Bottle mooring in Uxbridge for their lunch stop.
  • 'one: Huge is described as a 'one stop fashion shop ' .

Adjective complement

  • loving: Through all the years we were lucky to share with you, never once did you stop loving us, nor us you.
  • spinning: Switch off the router, but wait until the bit stops spinning before lifting the router.

Used with why or when

  • when: Corruption is often actively caused by the West or just as bad not stopped when it is in our power to do so.

Present participle complement

  • laugh: We won't mention the fact that I was 1 1/2 hours late for my last outing ( stop laughing Andy ).
  • worry: I've arrived at the conclusion that we should stop worrying about it really.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • off: We first stop off at Mats house to fetch his guitar.

Preposition: for

  • lunch: Stopped for lunch on the visitor moorings at the top of the Aston Locks.
  • refreshment: The Royal Boro has many areas suitable for cycling, with numerous places of interest to stop for refreshment.
stop Quotes

Ask Nureyev to stop dancing, ask Sinatra to stop singing, then you can ask me to stop playing.

—King, BillieJean ne¤  e Moffitt

If the people don't want to come out to the park, nobody's gonna stop them.

—Berra,Yogi Lawrence Peter

Bloody men are like bloody busesö You wait for about a year And as soon as one approaches your stop Two or three others appear.

—Cope,Wendy

Stop and consider! life is but a day; A fragile dew-drop on its perilous way From a tree's summit; a poor Indian's sleep While his boat hastens to the monstrous steep Of Montmorenci.

—Keats,John

Let's find out what everyone is doing And then stop everyone from doing it.

—Herbert, SirA(lan) P(atrick)

StopThe World, I Want to Get Off.

—Anonymous

All writing is a disease.You can't stop it.

—Williams,William Carlos