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drop in

verb, adj, noun — 15 senses

drop in

verbalso spelled drop-in
1

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see drop, in.

  • The keys were dropped in the fishbowl.
2

Idiomatic To arrive casually and unannounced, with little or no warning; also, to visit without an appointment.

  • I was in the garden covered with mud when my grandmother dropped in for a visit.
  • We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
1 more example
  • And so you felt like droppin’ in and just expect me to be free / Well, now I'm saving all my lovin’ for someone who's lovin’ me1978, Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren, “I Will Survive”, in Love Tracks, performed by Gloria Gaynor:
3

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Surfing To paddle into and take off on a wave another surfer is already riding.

  • Most beginners are blissfully unaware that dropping in on someone is a cardinal sin.2003, Neal Miyake, “The Unwritten Rules of Surfing”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), archived from the original on 14 Oct 2005:
4

To fall in; to cave in.

  • ⁠The cheeks drop in; the body bows; Man dies: nor is there hope in dust: […]1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 54:
5

US To install components, particularly car engines.

  • We dropped in all-new parts in the sports car.
Derived terms
drop-in/drop-out

drop-in

adj
1

Provided for short-term use.

2

Business, Manufacturing Fit to substitute for some element in a complex system without changes to the existing infrastructure.

  • We need the ultimate drop-in biofuel to make use of our expensive oil-based infrastructure.
  • An alternative to cellulosic based second- generation biofuels are drop-in biofuels, that is, fuels such as synthetic gasoline that can be put into fuel tanks and pipelines with no modifications.2012, Robert Mendelsohn, Ariel Dinar, Handbook on Climate Change and Agriculture, page 276:
3

Of a place or facility Allowing people to drop in; that is, to visit casually, without an appointment.

  • a drop-in centre
4

Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Of the pitch: prepared away from the ground or venue, and dropped into place only when a match is to be played.

  • The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is drop-in, and the ground is also used for Australian rules football.
Derived terms
drop-in center

drop-in

noun
1

One who casually drops in (visits unannounced or without appointment).

  • The office was efficient, but not well equipped to handle drop-ins.
2

An informal event that does not require booking in advance.

3

A place that can be visited casually, without an appointment.

4

Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Surfing The act of dropping in; that is, taking a wave that another surfer is already riding.

  • Drop-ins can and often do happen accidentally. Sometimes you're so focussed on your take-off that you just don't see the other rider.2004, Bill Mattos, Kayak Surfing, page 37:
5

Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A pitch that is prepared away from the ground or venue, and dropped into place only when a match is to be played.

6

Advertising, Broadcasting, Business, Marketing, Media A message or advertisement inserted into other material.

Related terms
plug-in

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for drop in and drop-in.