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   stop

   /stɒp/

   verb

   • 1. (of an event, action, or process) come to an end; cease to happen: "his laughter stopped as quickly as it had begun" Similar come to an endcome to a stopceaseendfinishdraw to a closebe overconcludeterminatecome to a standstillpausebreak offpeter outfade away
   • ▪ cease to perform a specified action or have a specified experience: "she stopped giggling" Similar ceasediscontinuerefrain fromdesist fromforbear frombreak offcall a halt tocall it a daygive upabandonabstain fromcut outbelayinformal:quitleave offknock offpack inlay offgive overjack in
   • ▪ abandon a specified practice or habit: "I've stopped eating meat"
   • ▪ stop moving or operating: "he stopped to look at the view"
   • ▪ (of a bus or train) call at a designated place to pick up or set down passengers: "main-line trains stop at platform 7"
   • ▪ stay somewhere for a short time: informal British "you'll have to stop the night"
   • 2. cause (an action, process, or event) to come to an end: "this harassment has got to be stopped" Similar put an end toput a stop tobring to an endendbring to a stophaltbring to a haltfinishbring to a closeterminatebring to a standstillwind updiscontinuecut shortinterruptnip in the budimmobilizeparalysedeactivateshut downOpposite startbegincontinue
   • ▪ prevent (an action or event) from happening: "a security guard was killed trying to stop a raid" Similar thwartbalkfoilfrustratestand in the way offorestallscotchderailinformal:put paid toput the stopper onput the kibosh ondo forstymiescupperOpposite expedite
   • ▪ prevent or dissuade (someone) from continuing in an activity or achieving an aim: "a campaign is under way to stop the bombers" Similar preventhinderobstructimpedeblockbarprecludedissuade fromOpposite encourage
   • ▪ prevent (someone or something) from performing a specified action or undergoing a specified experience: "several attempts were made to stop him giving evidence"
   • ▪ cause or order to cease moving or operating: "he stopped his car by the house" Similar pull updraw upcome to a stopcome to a haltcome to restpull inpull overparkprop
   • ▪ be hit by (a bullet). informal
   • ▪ instruct a bank to withhold payment on (a cheque): "he grew nervous about the deal and asked his bank manager to stop the cheque"
   • ▪ refuse to supply as usual; withhold or deduct: "they stopped the strikers' wages" Similar withholdsuspendkeep backhold backrefuse to paycut offdiscontinue
   • ▪ defeat (an opponent) by a knockout: "he was stopped in the sixth by Tyson"
   • ▪ pinch back (a plant).
   • 3. block or close up (a hole or leak): "he tried to stop the hole with the heel of his boot" Similar block (up)plugclose (up)fill (up)sealcaulkbung upclog (up)jam (up)choke (up)occlude
   • ▪ put a filling in (a tooth). dated British
   • ▪ block the mouth of (a fox's earth) prior to a hunt.
   • ▪ plug the upper end of (an organ pipe), giving a note an octave lower.
   • ▪ obtain the required pitch from (the string of a violin or similar instrument) by pressing at the appropriate point with the finger.
   • ▪ make (a rope) fast with a stopper.
   • 4. be or behave in a particular way: West Indian "‘Why was she so?’ ‘I don't know, you know how dem old people stop.’"
   • ▪ remain in a particular state or condition: "he said I mustn't stop barefooted, so I had to buy a pair of new shoes"

   noun

   • 1. a cessation of movement or operation: "all business came to a stop" Similar haltendfinishclosestandstillcessationconclusionterminationstoppagediscontinuationdiscontinuancepauseOpposite startbeginningcontinuation
   • ▪ a break or halt during a journey: "allow an hour or so for driving and as long as you like for stops" Similar breakstopoverstop-offstayrestformal:sojourn
   • ▪ a place designated for a bus or train to halt and pick up or set down passengers: "the bus was pulling up at her stop" Similar bus stopstopping placehaltterminusterminaldepotstationfare stagestage
   • ▪ an object or part of a mechanism which is used to prevent something from moving: "the shelves have special stops to prevent them from being pulled out too far"
   • ▪ a punctuation mark, especially a full stop. dated British Similar pointpunctuation markfull stopfull pointperiod
   • ▪ used in telegrams to indicate a full stop: "MEET YOU AT THE AIRPORT STOP"
   • ▪ a consonant produced with complete closure of the vocal tract: "a bilabial stop"
   • ▪ a high card that prevents the opponents from establishing a particular suit; a control: "if West bids 3♥ now, this will show a heart stop"
   • ▪ a short length of rope used to secure something; a stopper.
   • 2. a set of organ pipes of a particular tone and range of pitch.
   • ▪ a knob, lever, or similar device in an organ or harpsichord which brings into play a set of pipes or strings of a particular tone and range of pitch.
   • 3. the effective diameter of a lens.
   • ▪ a device for reducing the effective diameter of a lens.
   • ▪ a unit of change of relative aperture or exposure (with a reduction of one stop equivalent to halving it).

   Word Origin Old English(for)stoppian ‘block up (an aperture)’, of West Germanic origin; related to German stopfen, from late Latin stuppare ‘to stuff’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. stoppable adjective
   • 2. stopless adjective

   Scrabble Points: 6

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

   • O

     1

   • P

     3

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