Part 550

6. (Naut.) The depth of a square sail; -- generally applied to the courses only. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

7. Act of dropping; sudden fall or descent.

Ague drop, Black drop. See under Ague, Black. -- Drop by drop, in small successive quantities; in repeated portions. "Made to taste drop by drop more than the bitterness of death." Burke. -- Drop curtain. See Drop, n., 4. (d). -- Drop forging. (Mech.) (a) A forging made in dies by a drop hammer. (b) The process of making drop forgings. -- Drop hammer (Mech.), a hammer for forging, striking up metal, etc., the weight being raised by a strap or similar device, and then released to drop on the metal resting on an anvil or die. -- Drop kick (Football), a kick given to the ball as it rebounds after having been dropped from the hands. -- Drop lake, a pigment obtained from Brazil wood. Mollett. -- Drop letter, a letter to be delivered from the same office where posted. -- Drop press (Mech.), a drop hammer; sometimes, a dead- stroke hammer; -- also called drop. -- Drop scene, a drop curtain on which a scene is painted. See Drop, n., 4. (d). -- Drop seed. (Bot.) See the List under Glass. -- Drop serene. (Med.) See Amaurosis.

Drop (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dropped (?) or Dropt; p. pr. & vb. n. Dropping.] [OE. droppen, AS. dropan, v. i. See Drop, n.] 1. To pour or let fall in drops; to pour in small globules; to distill. "The trees drop balsam." Creech.

The recording angel, as he wrote it down, dropped a tear upon the word and blotted it out forever.

Sterne.

2. To cause to fall in one portion, or by one motion, like a drop; to let fall; as, to drop a line in fishing; to drop a courtesy.

3. To let go; to dismiss; to set aside; to have done with; to discontinue; to forsake; to give up; to omit.

They suddenly drop't the pursuit.

S. Sharp.

That astonishing ease with which fine ladies drop you and pick you up again.

Thackeray.

The connection had been dropped many years.

Sir W. Scott.

Dropping the too rough H in Hell and Heaven.

Tennyson.

4. To bestow or communicate by a suggestion; to let fall in an indirect, cautious, or gentle manner; as, to drop hint, a word of counsel, etc.

5. To lower, as a curtain, or the muzzle of a gun, etc.

6. To send, as a letter; as, please drop me a line, a letter, word.

7. To give birth to; as, to drop a lamb.

8. To cover with drops; to variegate; to bedrop.

Show to the sun their waved coats dropped with gold.

Milton.

To drop a vessel (Naut.), to leave it astern in a race or a chase; to outsail it.

Drop, v. i. 1. To fall in drops.

The kindly dew drops from the higher tree, And wets the little plants that lowly dwell.

Spenser.

2. To fall, in general, literally or figuratively; as, ripe fruit drops from a tree; wise words drop from the lips.