stop

verb (stops, stopping, stopped)

• 1 [no object] (of an event, action, or process) come to an end; cease to happen:his laughter stopped as quickly as it had begun the rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared
• [with present participle] cease to perform a specified action or have a specified experience:she stopped giggling [with object]:he stopped work for tea
• [with present participle] abandon a specified practice or habit:I’ve stopped eating meat
• stop moving or operating:he stopped to look at the view my watch has stopped
• (of a bus or train) call at a designated place to pick up or set down passengers:main-line trains stop at platform 7
• British informal stay somewhere for a short time:you’ll have to stop the night

• 2 [with object] cause (an action, process, or event) to come to an end:this harassment has got to be stopped
• prevent (an action or event) from happening:a security guard was killed trying to stop a raid
• prevent or dissuade (someone) from continuing in an activity or achieving an aim:a campaign is under way to stop the bombers
• [with object and present participle] prevent (someone or something) from performing a specified action or undergoing a specified experience:several attempts were made to stop him giving evidence you can’t stop me from getting what I want
• cause or order to cease moving or operating:he stopped his car by the house police were given powers to stop and search suspects
• informal be hit by (a bullet).
• 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
• Boxing defeat (an opponent) by a knockout:he was stopped in the sixth by Tyson
• pinch back (a plant).

• 3 [with object] block or close up (a hole or leak):he tried to stop the hole with the heel of his boot the stile has been stopped up
• British dated put a filling in (a tooth).
• 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 [no object] West Indian be or behave in a particular way:‘Why was she so?’ ‘I don’t know, you know how dem old people stop.’
• [with complement] 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

• 1a cessation of movement or operation:all business came to a stop there were constant stops and changes of pace
• a break or halt during a journey:allow an hour or so for driving and as long as you like for stops the flight landed for a refuelling stop
• 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
• 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
• British dated a punctuation mark, especially a full stop.
• used in telegrams to indicate a full stop:MEET YOU AT THE AIRPORT STOP
• Phonetics a consonant produced with complete closure of the vocal tract: a bilabial stop [as modifier]:stop consonants
• Bridge 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
• Nautical a short length of rope used to secure something; a stopper.

• 2a set of organ pipes of a particular tone and range of pitch.
• (also stop knob) 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 Photography 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).