to fall upon
Preserved but no longer current.
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 fall upon” mean?
To attack, as "to fall upon the rear'*; to throw oneself on, as, "he fell on his sword," ; to happen on, as, "On what day does Easter fall?
Is “to fall upon” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.