Main Entry: ¹stop

Pronunciation: \ˈstäp\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): stopped; stop·ping

Etymology: Middle English stoppen, from Old English -stoppian, from Vulgar Latin *stuppare to stop with tow, from Latin stuppa tow, from Greek styppē

Date: 13th century

transitive verb 1 a : to close by filling or obstructing b : to hinder or prevent the passage of c : to get in the way of : be wounded or killed by <easy to stop a bullet along a lonely…road — Harvey Fergusson>
2 a : to close up or block off (an opening) : plug b : to make impassable : choke, obstruct c : to cover over or fill in (a hole or crevice)
3 a : to cause to give up or change a course of action b : to keep from carrying out a proposed action : restrain, prevent <stopped them from leaving>
4 a : to cause to cease : check, suppress b : discontinue
5 a : to deduct or withhold (a sum due) b : to instruct one's bank to refuse (payment) or refuse payment of (as a check)
6 a : to arrest the progress or motion of : cause to halt <stopped the car> b : parry c : to check by means of a weapon : bring down, kill d : to beat in a boxing match by a knockout; broadly : defeat e : baffle, nonplus
7 : to change the pitch of (as a violin string) by pressing with the finger or (as a wind instrument) by closing one or more finger holes or by thrusting the hand or a mute into the bell
8 : to hold an honor card and enough protecting cards to be able to block (a bridge suit) before an opponent can run many tricksintransitive verb 1 a : to cease activity or operation <his heart stopped> <the rain stopped> b : to come to an end especially suddenly : close, finish
2 a : to cease to move on : halt b : pause, hesitate
3 a : to break one's journey : stay b chiefly British : remain c : to make a brief call : drop in
4 : to become choked : clog <the sink often stops up>

— stop·pa·ble \ˈstä-pə-bəl\ adjective

synonyms stop, cease, quit, discontinue, desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity. stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness <stopped at the red light>. cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality <by nightfall the fighting had ceased>. quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing <the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether>. discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice <we have discontinued the manufacture of that item>. desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing <desisted from further efforts to persuade them>.