Verb
fall off
- (transitive and intransitive) To become detached or to drop from.
- A button fell off my coat.
- (intransitive) To diminish in size, value, etc.
- Business always falls off in the winter.
- MC ___'s new album is wack - he's fallen off big-time.
- (nautical) To change the direction of the sail so as to point in a direction that is more down wind; to bring the bow leeward.
- 1846, Melville, Typee, chapter 1
- 'Why d'ye see, Captain Vangs,' says bold Jack, 'I'm as good a helmsman as ever put hand to spoke; but none of us can steer the old lady now. We can't keep her full and bye, sir; watch her ever so close, she will fall off and then, sir, when I put the helm down so gently, and try like to coax her to the work, she won't take it kindly, but will fall round off again; and it's all because she knows the land is under the lee, sir, and she won't go any more to windward.'
- 1854, Benjamin Robbins Curtis, Lawrence v. Minturn, Opinion of the Court
- She would not mind her helm, but would fall off; she would settle down aft and take in water over her stern, and plunged heavily forward.
- 1846, Melville, Typee, chapter 1
- Spanish: caer
- Spanish: caer
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