to drop off
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
"Friends drop off," fall away gradually. "To drop off to sleep," to fall asleep (especially in weariness or sickness).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to drop off” mean?
"Friends drop off," fall away gradually. "To drop off to sleep," to fall asleep (especially in weariness or sickness).
Is “to drop off” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.