/fɔ:l; fɔl/
v (pt fell / fel; fZl/, pp fallen / 5fR:lEn; `fRlEn/)
1 [I, Ipr, Ip] come or go down from force of weight, loss of balance, etc; descend or drop 落下; 跌落; 降落; 掉下
*The rain was falling steadily. 雨不停地下着.
* The leaves fall in autumn. 秋天树叶凋落.
* He slipped and fell ten feet. 他失足自十英尺高处跌了下来.
* That parcel contains glass don't let it fall. 那包裹里有玻璃制品--别掉在地上.
* The book fell off the table onto the floor. 那本书从桌上掉到地上.
* He fell into the river. 他掉进河里了.
* I need a new bicycle lamp my old one fell off and broke. 我需要一个新的自行车车灯--旧的摔破了.
2 [I, Ipr] ~ (on/upon sb/sth) come as if by dropping suddenly; descend 突然降临; 来临
*A sudden silence fell. 突然静了下来.
* Darkness falls quickly in the tropics. 热带地区天黑得很快.
* Fear fell upon them. 他们突然感到很害怕.
3 [I, Ipr, Ip] ~ (down/over) stop standing, esp suddenly; collapse 倒下（尤指突然间）; 倒塌
*Many trees fell in the storm. 在那场暴风雨中有许多树都倒了.
* He fell on his knees (ie knelt down) and begged for mercy. 他跪下求饶.
* The toddler tried to walk but kept falling down. 那小孩学着走路但老是跌跤.
* She fell over and broke her leg. 她跌倒後摔折了腿.
* (fig 比喻) Six wickets fell (ie Six batsmen in cricket were dismissed) before lunch. 午饭前有六个板球击球员被杀出局.
4 [Ipr] hang down 垂下; 低垂
*Her hair fell over her shoulders in a mass of curls. 她的鬈发披在肩上.
* His beard fell to his chest. 他的胡须垂到胸前.
5 [I] decrease in amount, number or intensity （数量、数目）下降; （强度）变弱
*Prices fell on the stock market. 股市行情下跌.
* Her spirits fell (ie She became sad) at the bad news. 她听到这坏消息後情绪很低落.
* Her voice fell as they entered the room. 他们走进房间时她的声音低了下来.
* The temperature fell sharply in the night. 夜间温度急剧下降.
6 [I, Ip] ~ (away/off) slope downwards 向下倾斜
*Beyond the hill, the land falls (away) sharply towards the river. 山那边地面呈陡坡向河边倾斜.
7 [I]
(a) lose one's position, office or power; be defeated 失去地位、职位或权力; 垮台
*The government fell after the revolution. 政府在那场革命之後垮台了.
(b) die in battle; be shot 阵亡; 被击毙
*Half the regiment fell before the enemy onslaught. 在敌军猛攻下, 这个团有一半人阵亡了.
* Six tigers fell to his rifle. 他用步枪射倒了六只老虎.
(c) (of a fortress, city, etc) be captured （指要塞、城市等）沦陷, 失守
*Troy finally fell (to the Greeks). 特洛伊最终被（希腊人）攻陷.
8 [I] (dated 旧) sin; do wrong 犯罪; 堕落
*Eve tempted Adam and he fell. 夏娃诱惑亚当, 结果他犯了罪.
9 [Ipr] ~ on/over sth take the direction or position specified 朝某方向; 占据某位置
*Which syllable does the stress of this word fall on? 这个字的重音是在哪个音节上?
* My eye fell on (ie I suddenly saw) a curious object. 我突然看见一个奇怪的东西.
* A shadow fell over the room. 有个影子映入室内.
10 [La, Ln, Ipr] ~ (into sth) pass into a specified state; become 进入某种状态; 变成
*fall asleep 入睡
* The horse fell lame. 那马瘸了.
* He fell silent. 他静了下来.
* Has she fallen ill again? 她又病了吗?
* When does the rent fall due? ie When must it be paid? 租金何时到期?
* She fell an easy prey to his charm. 她一下子被他迷住了.
* He fell into a doze, ie began to doze. 他打起瞌睡来了.
* The house fell into decay. 那房子腐朽了.
11 [I, Ipr] happen or occur; have as a date 发生; 适逢（一日期）
*Easter falls early this year. 今年的复活节来得早.
* Christmas Day falls on a Monday. 今年的圣诞节是星期一.
12 [I, Ipr] be spoken 被说出
*I guessed what was happening from a few words she let fall, ie from what she said. 我从她说的几句话中猜出发生什么事了.
* Not a word fell from his lips. 他什么话也没说.
13 (For idioms containing fall, see entries for ns, adjs, etc 与fall搭配的其他习语见有关名词、形容词等的词条, 如 fall in love (with sb) => love1; fall flat => flat3.)
14 (phr v) fall about (infml 口) laugh uncontrollably 无法控制地大笑
*We all fell about (laughing/with laughter) when he did his imitation of the tea-lady. 看到他模仿女勤杂工的样子, 我们全笑得前仰後合, 无法自制.

/fɔ:l; fɔl/
n
1 [C] act or instance of falling 落下; 跌落; 降落; 掉下
*I had a fall (from a horse) and broke my arm. 我（从马上）跌下来把胳膊摔断了.
* That was a nasty fall. 这一跤摔得不轻.
2 ~ (of sth)
(a) [C] amount of sth that falls or has fallen 某物降落的数量
*a heavy fall of snow/rain 一场大雪[大雨]
* a fall of rock(s) 落下的岩石.
(b) [C esp sing 尤作单数] distance through which sb/sth falls or descends 降落的距离; 落差
*a fall of twenty feet 下落二十英尺
* a twenty-foot fall 二十英尺的落差.
3 [C] decrease in value, quantity, intensity, etc 价值、数量、强度等的降低
*a steep fall in prices 价格的暴跌
* a fall in the numbers attending 出席人数的减少.
4 [sing] ~ (of sth) (esp political) defeat; collapse （尤指政治方面的）失败; 垮台
*the fall of the Roman Empire 罗马帝国的灭亡
* The fall of the Government resulted in civil war. 政府倒台导致内战爆发.
5 [C] (US) = autumn
*in the fall of
1970 在1970年的秋季
* several falls ago 几年之前
* [attrib 作定语] fall fashions 秋季式样.
6 (a) [C] ~ (from sth) loss of innocence or a state of goodness 堕落; 变坏
*a fall from grace 失宠.
(b) the Fall [sing] (Bible 圣经) loss of mankind's innocence following the disobedience of Adam and Eve （亚当和夏娃偷食禁果後）人类的堕落.
7 [C] (usu pl, esp in geographical names 通常作复数, 尤用于地名中) large amount of water falling down from a height; waterfall 瀑布
*The falls upstream are full of salmon. 该瀑布上流有许多大麻哈鱼.
* Niagara Falls 尼亚加拉瀑布.
8 (idm 习语) pride comes/goes before a fall => pride. ride for a fall => ride2.