From Middle English stoppen, stoppien, from Old English stoppian (“to stop, close”), from Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn, from Proto-Germanic *stuppōną (“to stop, close”), *stuppijaną (“to push, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-, *(s)tewb- (“to push; stick”), from *(s)tew- (“to bump; impact; butt; push; beat; strike; hit”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian stopje (“to stop, block”), West Frisian stopje (“to stop”), Dutch stoppen (“to stop”), Low German stoppen (“to stop”), German stopfen (“to be filling, stuff”), German stoppen (“to stop”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål stoppe (“to stop”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish stoppa (“to stop”), Middle High German stupfen, stüpfen (“to pierce”). More at stuff, stump. Alternative etymology derives Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn from an assumed Vulgar Latin *stūpāre, *stuppāre (“to stop up with tow”), from stūpa, stīpa, stuppa (“tow, flax, oakum”), from Ancient Greek στύπη (stúpē), στύππη (stúppē, “tow, flax, oakum”). This derivation, however, is doubtful, as the earliest instances of the Germanic verb do not carry the meaning of "stuff, stop with tow". Rather, these senses developed later in response to influence from similar sounding words in Latin and Romance.
Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
3
To cause (something) to cease moving or progressing.
The sight of the armed men stopped him in his tracks.
This guy is a fraudster. I need to stop the cheque I wrote him.
1 more example
A “moving platform” scheme[…]is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails.[…]This set-up solves several problems […]. Stopping high-speed trains wastes energy and time, so why not simply slow them down enough for a moving platform to pull alongside?2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
4
To cease; to no longer continue.
One of the wrestlers suddenly stopped fighting.
5
To cause (something) to come to an end.
The referees stopped the fight.
6
Causative To interrupt, prevent or end the activity of someone or something.
Don't let me stop you working.
When they have finished the milk they must be patted and squeezed to stop them exploding.1988, Jeanne Willis, Tony Ross, Dr Xargle's Book of Earthlets:
7
To close or block an opening.
He stopped the wound with gauze.
Rotten leaves and branches have stopped the gutter.
1 more example
I've had the cracks in the wall stopped with mortar by the builders.
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Arts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, PhotographyOften, With "up" or "down" To adjust the aperture of a camera lens.
To achieve maximum depth of field, he stopped down to an f-stop of 22.
9
To stay; to spend a short time; to reside or tarry temporarily.
to stop with a friend
He stopped for two weeks at the inn.
3 more examples
He stopped at his friend's house before continuing with his drive.
Springhaven had done so well last week, that this week it meant to do still better, by stopping at home till the money was gone, and making short work afterwards.1886 April – 1887 April, Richard Doddridge Blackmore, “The Maroon”, in Springhaven. A Tale of the Great War. […], volume I, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, […], published 1887, →OCLC, page 68:
She’s not going away. She’s going to stop here forever.1931, E. F. Benson, chapter 7, in Mapp & Lucia:
10
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music To regulate the sounds of (musical strings, etc.) by pressing them against the fingerboard with the finger, or otherwise shortening the vibrating part.
[Francesco] Guicciardini, if his sentences were properly stopt, would be found in general both full and concise, whatever may be asserted to the contrary by the fastidious and inattentive.1826, Walter Savage Landor, “Conversation XIII. [Vittorio] Alfieri and Salomon, the Florentine Jew.”, in Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 415:
Business, Finance To delay the purchase or sale of (a stock) while agreeing the price for later.
It will be noted that the specialist would have refused to stop the stock for broker X if he (the specialist) had only one order to sell at 85.1952, Charles Amos Dice, Wilford John Eiteman, The Stock Market, page 144:
15
To take out of service for repair, servicing or examination.
The mechanical foreman is also present, and he gives a progress report of engines under repair and those stopped for their periodical routine examination.1960 April 23, A. W. Bennett, “A Locomotive Shedmaster's Day”, in Railway Magazine, page 272:
16
To quit partaking in the use of or participation in (something).
From Middle English stoppen, stoppien, from Old English stoppian (“to stop, close”), from Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn, from Proto-Germanic *stuppōną (“to stop, close”), *stuppijaną (“to push, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-, *(s)tewb- (“to push; stick”), from *(s)tew- (“to bump; impact; butt; push; beat; strike; hit”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian stopje (“to stop, block”), West Frisian stopje (“to stop”), Dutch stoppen (“to stop”), Low German stoppen (“to stop”), German stopfen (“to be filling, stuff”), German stoppen (“to stop”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål stoppe (“to stop”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish stoppa (“to stop”), Middle High German stupfen, stüpfen (“to pierce”). More at stuff, stump. Alternative etymology derives Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn from an assumed Vulgar Latin *stūpāre, *stuppāre (“to stop up with tow”), from stūpa, stīpa, stuppa (“tow, flax, oakum”), from Ancient Greek στύπη (stúpē), στύππη (stúppē, “tow, flax, oakum”). This derivation, however, is doubtful, as the earliest instances of the Germanic verb do not carry the meaning of "stuff, stop with tow". Rather, these senses developed later in response to influence from similar sounding words in Latin and Romance.
A (usually marked) place where buses, trams or trains halt to let passengers get on and off, usually smaller than a station.
They agreed to meet at the bus stop.
2
An action of stopping; interruption of travel.
That stop was not planned.
It is […] doubtful […] whether it contributed anything to the stop of the infection.1722, Daniel Defoe, Journal of the Plague Year:
2 more examples
Occult qualities put a stop to the improvement of natural philosophy.1704, I[saac] N[ewton], “(please specify |book=1 to 3)”, in Opticks: Or, A Treatise of the Reflexions, Refractions, Inflexions and Colours of Light. […], London: […] Sam[uel] Smith, and Benj[amin] Walford, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC:
It is a great step toward the mastery of our desires to give this stop to them.1693, [John Locke], “§107”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
3
That which stops, impedes, or obstructs; an obstacle; an impediment.
A fatal stop trauerst their headlong course1595, Samuel Daniel, “(please specify the folio number)”, in The First Fowre Bookes of the Ciuile Wars between the Two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke, London: […] P[eter] Short for Simon Waterson, →OCLC:
So melancholy a prospect should inspire us with zeal to oppose some stop to the rising torrent.a. 1729, John Rogers, The Advantages of conversing with good Men:
4
A device intended to block the path of a moving object
door stop
5
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A device, or piece, as a pin, block, pawl, etc., for arresting or limiting motion, or for determining the position to which another part shall be brought.
6
Architecture A member, plain or moulded, formed of a separate piece and fixed to a jamb, against which a door or window shuts.
7
Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences A consonant sound in which the passage of air is temporarily blocked by the lips, tongue, or glottis.
8
A symbol used for purposes of punctuation and representing a pause or separating clauses, particularly a full stop, comma, colon or semicolon.
9
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A knob or pin used to regulate the flow of air in an organ.
The organ is loudest when all the stops are pulled.
10
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music One of the vent-holes in a wind instrument, or the place on the wire of a stringed instrument, by the stopping or pressing of which certain notes are produced.
11
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Tennis A very short shot which touches the ground close behind the net and is intended to bounce as little as possible.
The Foxes were indebted to two crucial saves from keeper Kasper Schmeichel, who turned former Leicester defender Ben Chilwell's header on to a post then produced an even better stop to turn Mason Mount's powerful shot wide.2021 May 15, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-1 Leicester”, in BBC Sport:
13
Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology The depression in a dog’s face between the skull and the nasal bones.
The stop in a bulldog's face is very marked.
14
A marking on a rabbit's hind foot.
The American Rabbit Breeders Association holds that the stops of a Dutch rabbit should be white from the toes to one third of the way along the foot.
15
Arts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Photography A part of a photographic system that reduces the amount of light.
16
Arts, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Photography A unit of exposure corresponding to a doubling of the brightness of an image.
From Middle English stoppen, stoppien, from Old English stoppian (“to stop, close”), from Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn, from Proto-Germanic *stuppōną (“to stop, close”), *stuppijaną (“to push, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-, *(s)tewb- (“to push; stick”), from *(s)tew- (“to bump; impact; butt; push; beat; strike; hit”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian stopje (“to stop, block”), West Frisian stopje (“to stop”), Dutch stoppen (“to stop”), Low German stoppen (“to stop”), German stopfen (“to be filling, stuff”), German stoppen (“to stop”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål stoppe (“to stop”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish stoppa (“to stop”), Middle High German stupfen, stüpfen (“to pierce”). More at stuff, stump. Alternative etymology derives Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn from an assumed Vulgar Latin *stūpāre, *stuppāre (“to stop up with tow”), from stūpa, stīpa, stuppa (“tow, flax, oakum”), from Ancient Greek στύπη (stúpē), στύππη (stúppē, “tow, flax, oakum”). This derivation, however, is doubtful, as the earliest instances of the Germanic verb do not carry the meaning of "stuff, stop with tow". Rather, these senses developed later in response to influence from similar sounding words in Latin and Romance.
1
Punctuation Used to indicate the end of a sentence in a telegram.
stop
noun
Etymology
From Middle English stoppe, from Old English stoppa (“bucket, pail, a stop”), from Proto-Germanic *stuppô (“vat, vessel”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teub- (“to push, hit; stick, stump”). See stoup. Cognates Cognate with Norwegian stopp, stoppa (“deep well, recess”), Middle High German stubech, stübich (“barrel, vat, unit of measure”) (German Stübchen). Related also to Middle Low German stōp (“beaker, flask”), Middle High German stouf (“beaker, flask”), Norwegian staupa (“goblet”), Icelandic staupa (“shot-glass”), Old English stēap (“a stoup, beaker, drinking vessel, cup, flagon”). Cognate to Albanian shtambë (“amphora, bucket”).
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics The squark that is the superpartner of a top quark.
For neutralino masses below approximately 700 GeV, gluino masses of less than 1.78 TeV and 1.76 TeV are excluded at the 95% CL in simplified models of the pair production of gluinos decaying via sbottom and stop, respectively.2016, ATLAS Collaboration, “Search for pair production of gluinos decaying via stop and sbottom in events with b-jets and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector”, in arXiv: