needle drop

noun

plural needle drops

1

: the dropping of needles by a conifer (such as a spruce, yew, or pine)

Fall needle drop occurs each year …

—Deborah Brown

2

: a popular song used in a film or television show for dramatic effect

… heavy metal needle drops add a flourish to sword fights …

—Robert Daniels

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

needle-drop scores

Examples of needle drop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

O’Connell goes all in on maniacal Sir Jimmy while Fiennes eats up needle drops like a demon. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1