3 N‑COUNT Someone who is a fake is not what they claim to be, for example because they do not have the qualifications that they claim to have.
4 VERB If you fake a feeling, emotion, or reaction, you pretend that you are experiencing it when you are not. □ [V n] Jon faked nonchalance. □ [V n] Maturity and emotional sophistication can't be faked.
fal|con /fɔː lkən, fæ lk-/ (falcons ) N‑COUNT A falcon is a bird of prey that can be trained to hunt other birds and animals.
fal|con|er /fɔː lkənə r , fæ lk-/ (falconers ) N‑COUNT A falconer is someone who trains and uses falcons for hunting.
fal|con|ry /fɔː lkənri, fæ lk-/ N‑UNCOUNT Falconry is the skill of training falcons to hunt, and the sport of using them to hunt.
fall ◆◆◆ /fɔː l/ (falls , falling , fell , fallen )
1 VERB If someone or something falls , they move quickly downwards onto or towards the ground, by accident or because of a natural force. □ [V prep] Her father fell into the sea after a massive heart attack. □ [V ] Bombs fell in the town. □ [V out/off ] I ought to seal the boxes up. I don't want the books falling out. □ [V -ing] Twenty people were injured by falling masonry. ● N‑COUNT Fall is also a noun. □ [+ from ] The helmets are designed to withstand impacts equivalent to a fall from a bicycle.
2 VERB If a person or structure that is standing somewhere falls , they move from their upright position, so that they are then lying on the ground. □ [V ] The woman gripped the shoulders of her man to stop herself from falling. □ [V prep/adv] We watched buildings fall on top of people and pets. □ [V prep/adv] He lost his balance and fell backwards. ● N‑COUNT Fall is also a noun. □ Mrs Briscoe had a bad fall last week. ● PHRASAL VERB Fall down means the same as fall . □ [V P ] I hit him so hard he fell down. □ [V P ] Children jumped from upper floors as the building fell down around them. ● fall|en ADJ [ADJ n] □ A number of roads have been blocked by fallen trees.
3 VERB When rain or snow falls , it comes down from the sky. □ [V ] Winds reached up to 100mph in some places with an inch of rain falling within 15 minutes. ● N‑COUNT Fall is also a noun. □ [+ of ] One night there was a heavy fall of snow.
4 → see also rainfall , snowfall
5 VERB If you fall somewhere, you allow yourself to drop there in a hurried or disorganized way, often because you are very tired. □ [V prep] Totally exhausted, he tore his clothes off and fell into bed.
6 VERB If something falls , it decreases in amount, value, or strength. □ [V + by ] Output will fall by 6%. □ [V + to/from ] Her weight fell to under seven stones. □ [V amount] Between July and August, oil product prices fell 0.2 per cent. □ [V ] The number of prosecutions has stayed static and the rate of convictions has fallen. □ [V -ing] …a time of falling living standards and emerging mass unemployment. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Fall is also a noun. □ There was a sharp fall in the value of the pound.
7 VERB If a powerful or successful person falls , they suddenly lose their power or position. □ [V ] There's a danger of the government falling because it will lose its majority. □ [V + from ] When Cromwell fell from power, the king took everything. ● N‑SING [with poss] Fall is also a noun. □ Since the fall of the military dictator, the country has had a civilian government.
8 VERB If a place falls in a war or election, an enemy army or a different political party takes control of it. □ [V + to ] Paris fell to the allies in August 1944. □ [V ] With the announcement 'Paphos has fallen!' a cheer went up from the assembled soldiers. ● N‑SING Fall is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the fall of Rome.
9 VERB If someone falls in battle, they are killed. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] Another wave of troops followed the first, running past those who had fallen.
10 V‑LINK You can use fall to show that someone or something passes into another state. For example, if someone falls ill , they become ill, and if something falls into disrepair , it is then in a state of disrepair. □ [V + in/into/out of ] It is almost impossible to visit Florida without falling in love with the state. □ [V adj] I took Moira to the cinema, where she fell asleep. □ [V n] Almost without exception these women fall victim to exploitation.
11 VERB If you say that something or someone falls into a particular group or category, you mean that they belong in that group or category. □ [V + into ] The problems generally fall into two categories. □ [V + into ] Both women fall into the highest-risk group.
12 VERB If the responsibility or blame for something falls on someone, they have to take the responsibility or the blame for it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + on ] That responsibility falls on the local office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
13 VERB If a celebration or other special event falls on a particular day or date, it happens to be on that day or date. □ [V + on ] Easter falls on April 10 next year.
14 VERB When light or shadow falls on something, it covers it. □ [V + across/over/on ] Nancy, out of the corner of her eye, saw the shadow that suddenly fell across the doorway.
15 VERB If someone's hair or a garment falls in a certain way, it hangs downwards in that way. □ [V prep/adv] …a slender boy with black hair falling across his forehead.