I. ˈstäp verb
( stopped or archaic stopt -pt ; stopped or archaic stopt ; stopping ; stops )
Etymology: Middle English stoppen, from Old English -stoppian; akin to Old Frisian stoppia to stop up, stuff, Old Low Franconian stuppon, Old High German stopfōn; all from a prehistoric West Germanic word borrowed from (assumed) Vulgar Latin stuppare to stop with tow, from Latin stuppa tow — more at stupe
transitive verb
1.
a. obsolete : to keep confined : prevent the escape of
still the envious flood stopped in my soul, and would not let it forth — Shakespeare
b. : to hinder or prevent the passage of
stop the inlets of fresh experience — Roger Fry
applied a styptic pencil to stop the blood
c. : to keep out : intercept
weather-stripped the windows to stop drafts
most of the rain is stopped by the outer hills — Francis Kingdon-Ward
d. : to get in the way of : suffer the impact of : be wounded or killed by
treats the male natives with bluster and hard knocks, even at the risk of stopping a shovel-headed spear — Leslie Rees
easy to stop a bullet along a lonely stretch of road — Harvey Fergusson
stopped one in the last battle of the war
2. chiefly Scotland : thrust , push , insert
3.
a.
(1) : to close up or block off access to (an opening) : plug
sometimes they refuse to listen, and are seen to stop their ears — B.N.Cardozo
— often used with up
the entrance to the cave was stopped up with rocks
(2) : to close off (a burrow) from use especially by foxes
stopped the earths in the neighboring fields before the hunt
b.
(1) : to make impassable : choke , obstruct
a narrow gangway, which one person could stop — Anthony Trollope
(2) : to fill or partially fill (a passage) with some obstruction — often used with up
if your nose is badly stopped up for long, the infection may back up — X-Rays & You
c.
(1) : to cover over or fill in (a hole or crevice)
the hole in the window was stopped with a piece of cardboard — Christopher Isherwood
built of hewn logs, the interstices stopped with clay — American Guide Series: North Carolina
(2) : to pack (a horse's feet) with some substance
at nightfall stop the feet with wet tow — Richard Ford
(3) : to dress over (as with plaster) : point 2a(1)
(4) chiefly Britain : to put a filling in (a tooth)
gnashed his formidable jaws, gleaming with teeth which had been newly stopped — S.H.Adams
4.
a. : to cause to give up or change a mode of behavior or course of action
tried to stop him from continuing to make a fool of himself
tried to stop her from spending so much time before the mirror
b. : to keep from carrying out a proposed action : hold back : restrain
pleaded with him to stop him from resigning
stopped him from making a speech that would have ruined him
5.
a. : to interrupt or prevent the continuance or occurrence of : cause to cease
teach people how to stop burglaries in their homes or business places — Rufus Jarman
unable to stop the noise of the children
stopped the epidemic
b. : discontinue
stopped work at noon
the phone stopped ringing
c. : to cause to discontinue operating or working
stopped the presses to put in a new lead story
d. : to interrupt in a speech or statement
stopped him short as he was trying to explain his mistake
stop me if you've heard this one before
6.
a. : to deduct or withhold (part or all of a sum due) in order to satisfy a claim or obligation
each worker pays the equivalent of ten cents a week, which is stopped from his wages by the employer — D.W. & Jean Orr
b. : to instruct one's bank not to honor or pay
stop a check
stop payment on a check
7.
a. : to arrest the progress or motion of : bring to a standstill : cause to halt
stopped him with an upraised fat hand — Kenneth Roberts
was stopped in his tracks by a shout from the barn — Time
the violation consists in stopping goods in interstate commerce — T.W.Arnold
stopped the car
stop thief
b. : to check with a counter blow or movement : parry
c. : to check by means of a weapon : bring down
missed his first shot, but stopped a bird with his second
d.
(1) : to defeat in a prizefight by a knockout
stopped his last opponent in three rounds
(2) : to defeat in a game or contest
stopped the opposing team by a wide margin
e. : to give pause to : baffle , nonplus
handles at a fast clip questions that have stopped the industrial experts — New York Times
8.
a. : to regulate the pitch of (as a violin string) by pressing with the finger
b. : to regulate the pitch of (a wind instrument) by closing one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell
9.
a. : to pay out (a cable) gradually in anchoring a ship
b. : to make fast (as a sail) with stops
10. chiefly Britain : pinch I 1b(2)
11.
a. : to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run off many tricks
stopped his spades
b.
(1) : to hold both of two honors that can be melded in (a suit or rank)
(2) : to prevent (a meld) by such holding
the double ace of spades stops 100 aces and a spade flush
12. chiefly Britain : punctuate
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to cease activity or operation
the motor stopped
the rain stopped
his heart stopped
b. : to come to an end : close , finish
carried his bow over his shoulder, but the resemblance to the accepted picture stopped there — T.B.Costain
then the din gradually dies down, the music stops — Lafcadio Hearn
c. : to cease to extend
the blue jacket stopping at his waist — Wirt Williams
the highway stops in the middle of nowhere
d. : to end abruptly : break off
it doesn't end; it stops — Arnold Bennett
2.
a. : to cease to move on : stand still : halt
stopping for a moment in his walk — Edith Sitwell
the horse stopped short at the fence
stopped dead to listen for a suspicious sound
b. : to interrupt oneself in an activity or speech
stopped for a while to have lunch
stopped short when he discovered his error
stopped to catch his breath
c. : to take time to consider : pause
had she stopped to think, she would have recalled … the plank there — Laura Krey
3.
a. : to hold back : hesitate
doesn't stop at the most outrageous lies
stops at nothing to gain his ends
b. : to cease from a course of action : desist
his tactics succeeded for a while, but he didn't know where to stop
4.
a.
(1) : to interrupt a trip (as for rest or a meal)
decided to stop at the next roadside restaurant for lunch
— sometimes used with off
stopped off on the way home to pick up some food
(2) : to break one's journey
decided to stop for a few days at the state park
— often used with over
stopped over to visit his cousins
(3) : to make a regularly scheduled halt (as for taking on or dropping passengers)
the express train doesn't stop at this station
the bus stops at the next corner
b. : to spend a short time : reside temporarily
arranged to stop at a hotel — Agnes S. Turnbull
c. chiefly Britain : remain , stay
she'd stop in bed all morning — Rosamond Lehmann
his dad fell into that terrible rage with him because he had stopped out all night — Edith Sitwell
d. : to make a brief call : drop in — usually used with by
suggested that she stop by that evening to talk things over — Polly Adler
5. : to bring up a narrow wooden strip (as a molding) against a flat or curved surface
6. : to become choked : clog
the sink stops up constantly because of the gooey messes the children pour into it
Synonyms:
quit , desist , cease , discontinue : stop is a rather general term indicating suspending or interfering with moving or progressing
the entrance of the judge, and a consequent great stir and settling-down in the court, stopped the dialogue — Charles Dickens
you might as well try and stop a young tank — Rose Macaulay
cease may differ in applying to conditions, states, or existences rather than to actions or activities
stopped (but not ceased ) the car
the infielder stopped (but not ceased ) the ball
but often the two are interchangeable
iron works … were erected here in 1795 but ceased activity in 1838 — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
these people suddenly ceased muttering, but redoubled their gesticulations — E.A.Poe
cease may or may not carry with it the idea of gradual slow cessation of activity
the soft woman gradually ceased her chirp — George Meredith
outside in the street all noises suddenly ceased — Sherwood Anderson
desist , a somewhat more formal word, is likely to indicate holding off, forebearing, refraining from going on, through self-restraint, consideration of others, expediency, or lack of success
had desisted in his effort to press love upon her because they were to be married — Sherwood Anderson
swindler and murderer desisted because they felt the latent strength of his personality — Osbert Sitwell
discontinue is not a very expressive word; it stresses the fact of suspension of some activity, course, accustomed occupation, or habit and may be used more freely than others in this set with tangible objects
discontinue the manufacture of motorcycles or motorbikes as part of the company's manufactures
quit may suggest either finality or peremptoriness in a person's stopping an activity or employment or acceptance of defeat and futility in continuing an endeavor or struggle
such of the owners as were not wedded to the industry quit — P.A.Rollins
had no thought of quitting the struggle — Sir Winston Churchill
Synonym: see in addition reside .
•
- stop one's mouth
- stop the show
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from stoppen, v.
1. : cessation , end , finish
his death put a stop to the project — J.W.Ellison b. 1891
time, that takes survey of all the world, must have a stop — Shakespeare
2.
a.
(1) : a graduated set of organ pipes of like kind and tone quality
(2) : a corresponding set of vibrators or reeds of a reed organ
(3) : stop knob
pulled out all the stops
b. : a means of regulating the pitch of a musical instrument: as
(1) : the closing of an aperture in the air passage of a wind instrument
(2) : pressure of the finger upon a string of a string instrument
c. : a device in a harpsichord or similar instrument for modifying the power and quality of the tones produced
3. : something that impedes, obstructs, or brings to a halt : impediment , obstacle , obstruction
as soon as I had enough men I put out stops on the motor road — Yale Review
a groove is made on one side of a length of bone or horn and a raised knob or stop is left at one end — Agnes Allen
as
a. : dam , weir
b.
(1) : an opaque barrier for preventing the passage of light through certain portions of an optical system (as at the margin, in the axial zone, or in radial sectors) ; specifically : the aperture of a camera lens
(2) : a marking of a series (as of f-numbers) on a camera for indicating settings of the diaphragm
c. : a valve so placed to be used as a shutoff (as in disconnecting water or gas service)
d. : a drain plug : stopper
4.
a.
(1) : a device or piece (as a pin block, pawl, or strip of wood) for arresting or limiting motion or for determining the position to which a part will be brought
(2) : a short feather key
b. : stopwork
c.
(1) : a small piece of material (as canvas or line) used to bind or secure something
secure a furled sail with stops
(2) : a projection on a mast or spar to support something or keep it from slipping down
d. : a bookbinder's hand tool used to stop a line at its intersection with another and thereby save mitering
e.
(1) : margin stop
(2) : a tabulator stop
5.
a. : the act of impeding or bringing to a halt or the state of being impeded or brought to a halt : check
the shortstop made a great stop on a hard grounder
the train was brought to a sudden stop
b. : a guard or counter in boxing that prevents an opponent's blow from landing ; especially : a blow delivered as the opponent is in the act of leading
c. : the act of preventing a goal (as in hockey, soccer) by catching or deflecting a shot : save
6.
a. : the act of coming to a halt : a cessation of motion or operation
a brief stop for mopping-up operations — Current Biography
within six months she was mastering spirals, sit-down spins and stops — Time
b. : a halt in a journey or trip : stay
made a long stop to see the famous ruins
the ship made a brief stop to refuel
c. : a point or place for stopping
an old town by the sea is a must stop — Eleanor Early
specifically : a point at which a public means of conveyance (as a train, bus, or airplane) regularly stops to take on or let off passengers or goods
7.
a. chiefly Britain : any of several punctuation marks
if commas are used rightly the other stops will sort themselves out — Ernest Gowers
b. — used in telegrams and cables to indicate a period
c. : a pause or break in a verse that marks the end of a grammatical unit
8.
a.
(1) : an order stopping payment (as of a check or note) by a bank
(2) : the act of making such an order
b. : stop order
9. : a consonant in the articulation of which there is a stage (as in the t of apt, the p of apt, and the g of tiger ) when the breath passage is completely closed at the nose by raised velum and elsewhere by lips, tongue, or glottis — compare nasal II 2a
10.
a. : a card in some games (as Michigan or fan-tan) that stops a sequence when played ; also : the termination of a sequence by such a card
b. stops plural but singular in construction : any of several games having as an essential feature the stopping of play when the card specified to be played next is not available ; specifically : michigan
11. : a depression in the face of an animal at the junction of forehead and foreface: as
a. : an indentation between muzzle and forehead in a dog (as a bulldog) — see dog illustration
b. : an angular indentation between bill and forehead in some pigeons
c. : a line where the forehead meets the snout in a dolphin
12. chiefly Britain : one posted to prevent game animals from breaking away when located
III. adjective
1. : serving to stop : designed to stop
stop line
stop signal
stop valve
2. : marked by stoppage of sound
stop consonant
stop articulation
IV. verb
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- stop a stock