Fall has 50 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Verb · Intj · Proper Noun
the lapse of mankind into sinfulness because of the sin of Adam and Eve
"women have been blamed ever since the Fall"
a downward slope or bend
"The river made a gentle fall as it wound through the valley before reaching the sea."
the act of surrendering (usually under agreed conditions)
"they were protected until the capitulation of the fort"
The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
"The crew shouted for everyone to fall as soon as they spotted the massive gray whale breaching near the surface."
The chasing of a hunted whale.
In plain English: A fall is an accident where someone drops to the ground from a higher place.
"The leaves have fallen from the trees."
Usage: As a noun, fall refers to the season between summer and winter or the act of dropping from a height. Do not use it to describe the pursuit of a whale, which is called a drive or hunt instead.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
"The branch fell from the tree"
"The unfortunate hiker fell into a crevasse"
pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind
"fall into a trap"
"She fell ill"
"They fell out of favor"
"Fall in love"
"fall asleep"
"fall prey to an imposter"
"fall into a strange way of thinking"
"she fell to pieces after she lost her work"
fall from clouds
"rain, snow and sleet were falling"
"Vesuvius precipitated its fiery, destructive rage on Herculaneum"
die, as in battle or in a hunt
"Many soldiers fell at Verdun"
"Several deer have fallen to the same gun"
"The shooting victim fell dead"
occur at a specified time or place
"Christmas falls on a Monday this year"
"The accent falls on the first syllable"
to be given by assignment or distribution
"The most difficult task fell on the youngest member of the team"
"The onus fell on us"
"The pressure to succeed fell on the youngest student"
drop oneself to a lower or less erect position
"She fell back in her chair"
"He fell to his knees"
assume a disappointed or sad expression
"Her face fell when she heard that she would be laid off"
"his crest fell"
To be moved downwards.
"The apple fell from the tree and landed softly on the grass below."
To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity.
"The apple fell from the tree branch and hit the ground below."
In plain English: To fall means to drop down quickly because you lost your balance or something pushed you.
"The leaves began to fall from the trees in the autumn wind."
Usage: Use "fall" to describe something moving downward under its own weight or gravity, such as leaves falling from a tree or prices falling in value. Do not use it when an external force pushes an object down, which requires the verb "drop" instead.
The cry given when a whale is sighted, or harpooned.
"The lookout shouted "fall!" as soon as he spotted the breaching sperm whale on the horizon."
The sudden fall of humanity into a state of sin, as brought about by the transgression of Adam and Eve.
"The sermon explained that our spiritual struggle stems from the ancient Fall when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden."
The verb "fall" comes from the Old English word feallan, which originally meant to fail, decay, die, or even attack. It traveled into modern English through Middle English fallen while retaining its core meaning of dropping down.