Drop letter

Drop Drop (dr[o^]p), n. [OE. drope, AS. dropa; akin to OS. dropo, D. drop, OHG. tropo, G. tropfen, Icel. dropi, Sw. droppe; and Fr. AS. dre['o]pan to drip, drop; akin to OS. driopan, D. druipen, OHG. triofan, G. triefen, Icel. drj[=u]pa. Cf. {Drip}, {Droop}.] 1. The quantity of fluid which falls in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a drop of water. [1913 Webster]

With minute drops from off the eaves. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

As dear to me as are the ruddy drops That visit my sad heart. -- Shak. [1913 Webster]

That drop of peace divine. --Keble. [1913 Webster]

2. That which resembles, or that which hangs like, a liquid drop; as a hanging diamond ornament, an earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, a sugarplum (sometimes medicated), or a kind of shot or slug. [1913 Webster]

3. (Arch.) (a) Same as {Gutta}. (b) Any small pendent ornament. [1913 Webster]

4. Whatever is arranged to drop, hang, or fall from an elevated position; also, a contrivance for lowering something; as: (a) A door or platform opening downward; a trap door; that part of the gallows on which a culprit stands when he is to be hanged; hence, the gallows itself. (b) A machine for lowering heavy weights, as packages, coal wagons, etc., to a ship's deck. (c) A contrivance for temporarily lowering a gas jet. (d) A curtain which drops or falls in front of the stage of a theater, etc. (e) A drop press or drop hammer. (f) (Mach.) The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger. [1913 Webster]

5. pl. Any medicine the dose of which is measured by drops; as, lavender drops. [1913 Webster]

6. (Naut.) The depth of a square sail; -- generally applied to the courses only. --Ham. Nav. Encyc. [1913 Webster]

7. Act of dropping; sudden fall or descent. [1913 Webster]

{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}. [1913 Webster]