verb (used with object), stopped or (Archaic) stopt; stopping.
to cause to cease; put an end to: to stop noise in the street.
to block, obstruct, or close (a passageway, channel, opening, duct, etc.) (usually followed by up ): He stopped up the sink with a paper towel. He stopped the hole in the tire with a patch.
to check (a stroke, blow, etc.); parry; ward off.
Boxing. to defeat by a knockout or technical knockout: Louis stopped Conn in the 13th round.
Banking. to notify a bank to refuse payment of (a check) upon presentation.
to produce (a particular note) by so doing.
verb (used without object), stopped or (Archaic) stopt; stopping.
to come to a stand, as in a course or journey; halt.
to cease; come to an end.
the act of stopping.
a cessation or arrest of movement, action, operation, etc.; end: The noise came to a stop. Put a stop to that behavior!
a closing or filling up, as of a hole.
a blocking or obstructing, as of a passage or channel.
a plug or other stopper for an opening.
an obstacle, impediment, or hindrance.
Architecture. a feature terminating a molding or chamfer.
an order to refuse payment of a check.
an articulation that interrupts the flow of air from the lungs.
a consonant sound characterized by stop articulation, as p, b, t, d, k, and g. Compare continuant.
Photography. the diaphragm opening of a lens, especially as indicated by an f- number.
Building Trades.
doorstop ( def 2 ).
Verb phrases
stop down, Photography. (on a camera) to reduce (the diaphragm opening of a lens).
stop out,
pull out all the stops,
to use every means available.
to express, do, or carry out something without reservation.


stopless, adjective
stoplessness, noun
multistop, adjective

3. Stop, arrest, check, halt imply causing a cessation of movement or progress (literal or figurative). Stop is the general term for the idea: to stop a clock. Arrest usually refers to stopping by imposing a sudden and complete restraint: to arrest development. Check implies bringing about an abrupt, partial, or temporary stop: to check a trotting horse. To halt means to make a temporary stop, especially one resulting from a command: to halt a company of soldiers. 5. thwart, obstruct, impede. 16. quit. 21. halt; termination. 23. terminal. 28. governor.

1–3. start. Unabridged
Cite This Source Link To stop
World English Dictionary
stop (stɒp)
vb (often foll by from) (often foll by up) (often foll by up) , stops, stopping, stopped
1.  to cease from doing or being (something); discontinue: stop talking
2.  to cause (something moving) to halt or (of something moving) to come to a halt: to stop a car; the car stopped
3.  (tr) to prevent the continuance or completion of: to stop a show
4.  to prevent or restrain: to stop George from fighting
5.  (tr) to keep back: to stop supplies to the navy
6.  (tr) to intercept or hinder in transit: to stop a letter
7.  to block or plug, esp so as to close: to stop up a pipe
8.  to fill a hole or opening in: to stop up a wall
9.  (tr) to staunch or stem: to stop a wound
10.  (tr) to instruct a bank not to honour (a cheque)
11.  (tr) to deduct (money) from pay
12.  (Brit) (tr) to provide with punctuation
13.  (tr) boxing to beat (an opponent) either by a knockout or a technical knockout
14.  informal (tr) to receive (a blow, hit, etc)
15.  (intr) to stay or rest: we stopped at the Robinsons' for three nights
16.  rare (tr) to defeat, beat, or kill
17.  (tr) music
 a.  to alter the vibrating length of (a string on a violin, guitar, etc) by pressing down on it at some point with the finger
 b.  to alter the vibrating length of an air column in a wind instrument by closing (a finger hole, etc)
 c.  to produce (a note) in this manner
18.  (tr) to place a hand inside (the bell of a French horn) to alter the tone colour and pitch or play (a note) on a French horn in such a manner
19.  bridge to have a protecting card or winner in (a suit in which one's opponents are strong)
21.  an arrest of movement or progress
22.  the act of stopping or the state of being stopped
23.  a place where something halts or pauses: a bus stop
24.  a stay in or as if in the course of a journey
25.  the act or an instance of blocking or obstructing
26.  a plug or stopper
27.  a block, screw, or other device or object that prevents, limits, or terminates the motion of a mechanism or moving part
28.  (Brit) a punctuation mark, esp a full stop
29.  fencing Also called: stop thrust a counterthrust made without a parry in the hope that one's blade will touch before one's opponent's blade
30.  stop payment short for stop order
31.  music
 a.  the act of stopping the string, finger hole, etc, of an instrument
 b.  a set of organ pipes or harpsichord strings that may be allowed to sound as a group by muffling or silencing all other such sets
 c.  a knob, lever, or handle on an organ, etc, that is operated to allow sets of pipes to sound
 d.  an analogous device on a harpsichord or other instrument with variable registers, such as an electrophonic instrument
32.  pull out all the stops
 a.  to play at full volume
 b.  to spare no effort
33.  (Austral) a stud on a football boot
34.  the angle between the forehead and muzzle of a dog or cat, regarded as a point in breeding
35.  nautical a short length of line or small stuff used as a tie, esp for a furled sail
36.  phonetics Compare continuant Also called: stop consonant any of a class of consonants articulated by first making a complete closure at some point of the vocal tract and then releasing it abruptly with audible plosion. Stops include the labials (p, b), the alveolars or dentals (t, d), the velars (k, g)
37.  photog Also called: f-stop
 a.  a setting of the aperture of a camera lens, calibrated to the corresponding f-number
 b.  another name for diaphragm
38.  a block or carving used to complete the end of a moulding
39.  bridge Also called: stopper a protecting card or winner in a suit in which one's opponents are strong

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

O.E. -stoppian (in forstoppian "to stop up, stifle"), along with M.L.G. stoppen, O.H.G. stopfon (Ger. stopfen) a W.Gmc. borrowing from V.L. *stuppare "to stop or stuff with tow or oakum" (cf. It. stoppare, Fr. étouper "to stop with tow"), from L. stuppa "coarse part of flax, tow." Plugs made of
tow were used from ancient times in Rhine valley. Sense of "bring or come to a halt" (mid-15c.) is from notion of preventing a flow by blocking a hole, and the word's development in this sense is unique to English, though it since has been widely adopted in other languages; perhaps influenced by L. stupere "be stunned, be stupefied." The noun is first recorded late 15c. Stop-and-go (adj.) is from 1926.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
Safe Tables Our Priority
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases


In addition to the idioms beginning with stop, also see buck stops here; pull out all the stops; put an end (a stop) to.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
  first place.
Sensors stop her from bumping into other cars or people.
They don't stop spreading when you stop releasing them.
Copyright © 2014, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature