Dictionary: FAL – FALLH

• FAL
n. 1868 rhyming sl. for ‘gal’ – a girl, a young woman  
 
• FALAHVER
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – unctuous politeness; exaggerated civility expressed in words, ‘palaver’  
 
• FALAIRY
adj. 20C Ulster sl. – unpleasant  
 
• FALALDRAN
adj. 1865 Eng. dial. – affected, mincing  
 
• FALARIE
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – disturbance, excitement, commotion  
 
• FALCHION
n. 1303 – a broad sword more or less curved with the edge on the convex side; later, a sword of any kind  
 
• FALCIFEROUS
adj. 1656 obs. – carrying a sickle; scythe-bearing
 
• FALCONER
n. 17C UK criminals’ sl. – a confidence trickster; one who poses as a poor scholar and thus persuades his victims to put up money in order to back the printing of some spurious learned pamphlet  
 
• FALDERAL
int. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – an exclamation of exultation used in the game of hopscotch on reaching the centre square  
n. 1. 1701 – a meaningless refrain in songs  
n. 2. c1820 – a gewgaw, a trifle; a flimsy thing; a useless ornament; finery 
n. 3. 1865 Sc. & Eng. dial. – an idle fancy; conceit, nonsense; a fuss about trifles; a trifling excuse; a falsehood  
n. 4. 1866 Sc. – a pedantic, giddy person  
vb. 1866 Sc. – to make trifling excuses; to behave in a giddy, pedantic manner  
 
• FALDERALS
n. 1. 1828 Sc. & Eng. dial. – odds and ends; trifles  
n. 2. 19C colloq. – silly ideas  
 
• FALDERDAL
n. 1828 Eng. dial. – a gewgaw, a trifle, a useless ornament; finery  
 
• FALDERED
adj. 1884 Eng. dial. – overcome with fatigue, worn out, exhausted  
 
• FALDERMENT
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – finery, useless ornaments of dress  
 
• FAL DE ROL
n. 1. 1701 – a meaningless refrain in songs  
n. 2. c1820 – a gewgaw, a trifle; a flimsy thing 
 
• FALDERUMDAL
n. 1866 Sc. – an idle fancy, a vagary; a fuss about trifles; a trifling excuse  
 
• FALE
n. 1. c1380 obs. – a comrade, a fellow
n. 2. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – a pustule, a sore  
 
• FALK
vb. 1445 Sc. – to abate, to diminish, to lessen; to deduct  
 
• FALKIRK RAISINS
n. c1840 Sc. obs. – a cant name for green peas
 
• FALKLAND-BRED
adj. 1721 Sc. obs. – well-mannered, as if bred at court, courtly, polished, well-bred
 
• FALKLAND MANNERS
n. 1827 Sc. – good manners; now used sarcastically  
 
• FALL
n. 1. c1430 obs. – an alleged name for a covey or flight of woodcocks
n. 2. c1440 – something that falls; a trap-door; a trap 
n. 3. 1520 obs. – the dropping out of teeth
n. 4. 1594 obs. – the downward stroke of a sword, etc.
n. 5. 1599 obs. – shedding of blood
n. 6. 1694 – in whaling: the cry given when a whale is sighted, or seen to blow, or harpooned; the chase of a whale or school of whales  
n. 7. 1768 Sc. – rent; share, portion  
n. 8. 1773 Sc. – lot, fate, fortune
n. 9. 1785 obs. – the roots and stumps of felled trees
n. 10. 1884 Eng. dial. – a woman’s veil  
n. 11. 1890 Eng. dial. – a necktie  
n. 12. 1891 Sc. & Eng. dial. – a fall of rain or snow; a shower of rain, a snowstorm  
n. 13. 1893 US sl. – an arrest and/or conviction  
n. 14. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – low-lying, wet, marshy land  
n. 15. 1910s criminals’ sl. – problems, difficulties; a ‘fall from grace’  
n. 16. 1920s sl. – the blame, the consequences; the blame take on behalf of another  
n. 17. 1933 US sl. – imprisonment; a prison sentence
vb. 1. 1297 obs. – to appertain or belong; to be applicable, fitting, or proper
vb. 2. c1300 obs. – to bring or throw to the ground; to  overthrow, lit. and fig.
vb. 3. c1369 obs. – of the complexion: to grow pale
vb. 4. 1393 obs. – to change, to turn into something worse
vb. 5. 1538 obs. – to be taken ill of a disease
vb. 6. 1580 obs. – of anything heated or swollen: to settle down
vb. 7. 1599 obs. – to shrink; of an animal or a limb: to become lean
vb. 8. 1626 obs. – to lower the voice, either in pitch or loudness
vb. 9. 1633 obs. – of the weather: to turn out, to prove to be
vb. 10. 1633 obs. – of the sun, etc.: to go down; to sink, to set
vb. 11. 1641 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to have fall to one’s share; to obtain, to win, to gain
vb. 12. 1677 obs. exc. Eng. dial. – to lower a price, etc.; to bring down in value, to depreciate; to depress the market; also, of land: to become worth less
vb. 13. 1691 obs. rare – to go down hill
vb. 14. 1722 Sc. & N. Eng. dial. – to ‘fall’ with child, to become pregnant  
vb. 15. 1743 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to befall, to betide; to happen, to occur
vb. 16. 1750 Eng. & Amer. dial. – of animals: to be born  
vb. 17. 1789 obs. – to cause to settle or subside
vb. 18. 1832 Sc. – of the sea: to grow calm  
vb. 19. 1835 Amer. dial. – of a horse: to unseat a rider vb. 20. 1845 Sc. – to beat, to excel  
vb. 21. 1873 Amer. criminals’ sl. – to be arrested or convicted; to be imprisoned  
vb. 22. 1899 Amer. sl., esp. African-American & jazz usage – to come or go  
vb. 23. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – of fruit when cooked: to become soft and tender  
vb. 24. Bk1900 Sc. – to become, to turn, to change into vb. 25. 1906 Amer. sl. – to become enamoured; to become a lover  
vb. 26. 1910 sl. – to fail  
vb. 27. 1910s sl. – to get married  
vb. 28. 1920s African-American sl. – to leave  
vb. 29. 1940s Aust. sl. – to arrive suddenly; usually used of the police  
vb. 30. 1990s sl. – to lose status, to be deprived of a comfortable situation  
 
• THE FALL
n. 1929 sl., orig. prison usage – consequences, esp. blame taken for another person  
 
• FALLABLE
adj. 1548 obs. – capable of falling, liable to fall
 
• FALL ABOARD
vb. 1. a1680 obs. – to make a beginning
vb. 2. Bk1898 Eng. dial. – to attack, assault
 
• FALL ABOARD OF
vb. 1. 1604 obs. – to come to words, to quarrel; to attack, to fall upon
vb. 2. 1887 nautical usage – to meet a person  
 
• FALL A-BONES OF ANYONE
vb. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – to attack, to assail  
 
• FALL ABOUT
vb. 1. 1632 obs. – to search around, to cast about
vb. 2. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – of a woman: to be confined  
vb. 3. 1940s sl., orig. US – to collapse in laughter; to laugh immoderately  
 
• FALL-ABROAD
adj. 1867 Eng. dial. – stout, flabby, fat  
vb. 1867 Eng. dial. – (as ‘fall abroad’) to grow stouter, more sturdy, thickset  
 
• FALLACE
adj. 1393 obs. rare  – fallacious; deceitful; deceptive, misleading
n. 1. a1300 obs. – deception, trickery, falsehood; deceitfulness
n. 2. 1532 obs. – a sophistical argument
 
• FALLACHAN
n. c1850 Sc. – a hoard, a concealed store 
 
• FALLACILOQUENCE
n. 1656 obs. – deceitful speech
 
• FALLACILOQUENT
adj. 1730 obs. – speaking deceitfully
 
• FALLACIOUS
adj. 1. 1509 – of an argument, etc.: containing a fallacy  
adj. 2. 1651 – of things: deceptive, misleading  
adj. 3. 1663 obs. – of persons: deceitful
adj. 4. 1667 – that causes disappointment; mocking expectation, delusive  
 
• FALLACITY
n. 1664 obs. – the quality of being fallacious
 
• FALL ACROSS
vb. c1885 colloq. – to meet a person unexpectedly 
 
• FALL AFTER
vb. c1400 obs. – of a dream: to come true

• FALLAGE
n. 1788 hist. – a felling or cutting down trees
 
• FALLAL
adj. 1. 1748 obs. – affected, finicking, foppish
adj. 2. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – gaudily-dressed  
int. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – an exclamation of exultation on reaching the centre square in hopscotch
n. 1. a1706 – a piece of finery or frippery, a showy adornment in dress; usually plural usage 
n. 2. 1791 Sc. & Eng. dial. – nonsense, frivolous talk or behaviour; conceit, humbug  
n. 3. 1879 Eng. dial. – affectation in manner, fussy show of politeness
n. 4. 1887 Eng. dial. – the game of hopscotch  
n. 5. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – a gaudily-dressed woman; a term of contempt for a woman
 
• FALLALDERMENT
n. 1877 Eng. dial. – finery, ornaments of dress  
 
• FALLALED OUT
adj. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – dressed out, decked out with finery  
 
• FALLALERY
n. 1833 – tawdry finery; gaudy ornament  
 
• FALLALISH
adj. 1754 rare – somewhat ‘fallal’
 
• FALL ALL OVER ONESELF
vb. 1895 Amer. sl. – to be eager or confusedly effusive; to try overly hard; to make extreme, if chaotic, efforts to achieve what one or another wants  
 
• FALLALS
n. 1818 Sc. & Eng. dial. – finery, trumpery ornaments, trifles, gewgaws
 
• FALLAP
vb. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – to flap, to blow about  
 
• FALL APART
vb. 1930s sl. – to collapse emotionally; to lose control of one’s feelings; to lose one’s usual poise and confidence  
 
• FALL APART AT THE SEAMS
vb. 1965 Amer. sl. – to be or become spoiled or ruined  
• FALL A-PIECES
vb. 1892 Eng. dial. – to break in pieces  
 
• FALL ASLEEP
vb. 1943 Amer. dial. – to die  
 
• FALL ASTERN
vb. 1945 Amer. dial. – to lose ground, to fail
 
• FALL AT HAND
vb. 1529 obs. – to be near at hand, to be going to happen
 
• FALLATION
n. a1568 obs. – a fallacy, a deceptive or misleading argument
 
• FALL AT JAR
 vb. 1586 obs. – to fall out, to quarrel
 
• FALLAUGE
adj. Bk1900 Sc. – profuse, lavish  
 
• FALL-AWAY
n. 1. 1682 obs. – one who falls away from religion; an apostate
n. 2. 1968 Amer. dial. – a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all  
(verbs usually as ‘fall away’)
vb. 1. c1374 obs. – to cease to speak of a subject 
vb. 2. 1530 obs. – to lose flesh or substance; to shrink
vb. 3. 1891 Amer. dial. – to lose weight, usually as the result of illness  
vb. 4. 1930 Amer. dial. – to go to shreds, to disintegrate  
vb. 5. 1954 Amer. dial. – to decline in health  
 
• FALLAX
n. 1530 obs. – deception; guile, trickery; fallacy
 
• FALLAXITY
n. c1640 obs. – deception, guile, trickery; fallacy
 
• FALL-BACK
n. 1. 1851 – a something upon which one may fall back; a reserve  
n. 2. 1892 – a falling back; depression  
n. 3. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – a hindrance  
n. 4. 1936 Amer. dial. – the action of a horse falling backward  
n. 5. 1952 Amer. dial. – a horse that rears and falls backward  
vb. E19 US sl. – (as ‘fall back’) to run off  
 
• FALL BACK, FALL EDGE
phr. 1622 – come what may; through thick and thin  
 
• FALLBROOK REDHAIR
n. 1992 US sl. – marijuana purportedly grown near Fallbrook, California  
 
• FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS
vb. 1970s Amer. sl. – to be ignored, overlooked, mismanaged, or forgotten, esp. because of ambiguity in definition or understanding  
 
• FALL BIRD
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – a cricket; a cicada  
 
• FALL BITCH
n. 1. 20C sl. – a woman who bears the punishment for another’s wrongdoing
n. 2. 20C sl. – a woman who is easily duped; a victim  
 
• FALL BY
vb. 1. Bk1900 Sc. – to be sick or affected with any ailment; to be confined in child-bed  
vb. 2. 1959 sl., orig. African-American – to visit without prior warning; to drop in  
vb. 3. 1970 Amer. dial. – to arrive at a place  
 
• FALL BY ONE’S REST
vb. Bk1900 Sc. – to be sleepless  
 
• FALL-CLOUD
n. 1823 – a stratus cloud  
 
• FALL-DOOR
n. 1481 obs. rare – a trap-door  
 
• FALL DOUGH
n. 1910 US criminals’ sl. – money set aside by a criminal for bribing policemen or obtaining bail if he is arrested  
 
• FALL-DOWN
adj. 1829 – that falls down, turned over  
(verbs usually as ‘fall down’)
vb. 1. 1757 obs. – to take to one’s bed; to sicken  
vb. 2. M19 US sl. – to fail; to ‘come to grief’
vb. 3. c1935 colloq. – to make a bad mistake or error; to blunder 
vb. 4. 1960s US sl. – to experience, to enjoy  
 
• FALL DOWN AND GO BOOM
vb. 1. 1930s Amer. sl. – to fail, esp. utterly and obviously  
vb. 2. 1930s Amer. sl. – to take a tumble, to fall heavily
 
• FALL DOWN ON
vb. 1. M19 US sl. – to fail; to ‘come to grief’  
vb. 2. c1935 colloq. – to make a bad mistake or error; to blunder 
vb. 3. 1960s African-American & gang usage – to attack  
vb. 4. 1960s US sl. – to experience, to enjoy  
 
• FALL DOWN ON THE JOB
vb. 1898 Amer. sl. – to fail at one’s responsibilities; to shirk an obligation 
 
• FALL-DOWNS
n. L19 sl. – fragments from a pie that fall from the larger piece or slice when it is being cut up; plates of such fragments were sold at a halfpenny a plate in cook-shops  
 
• FALL DOWNSTAIRS
vb. 1950 Amer. sl. – to get a haircut  
 
• FALL DOWN THE SINK
vb. L19 rhyming sl. – to drink  
 
• FALL DOWN THE STEPS
vb. 1980 Amer. dial. – to get a haircut  
 
• FALLEN
adj. 1892 rare – of the sun: having set
 
• FALLEN ANGEL
n. c1810 Stock Exchange usage – a defaulter, a bankrupt 
 
• FALLENATNITE
n. 1989 Can. sl. – a mock scientific name for a stone  
 
• FALLEN AWAY FROM A HORSE-LOAD TO A CART-LOAD
phr. L18 sl. – grown fat  
 
• FALLEN MEAT
n. Bk1900 Eng. dial. – the flesh of an animal that has died a natural death  
 
• FALLEN OFF THE BACK OF A LORRY
adj. 1977 UK sl. – stolen (not necessarily from a vehicle)  
 
• FALLEN ON
adj. c1930 sl. – pregnant 
 
• FALLEN WOMAN
n. 1. 1820 – one who has surrendered her chastity  
n. 2. 20C US euphemism – a prostitute  
 
• FALLERS
n. L19 colloq. – windfall apples, pears, etc.  
 
• FALLEY
n. 1938 Sc. – a fellow  
 
• FALL FEVER
n. 1774 – typhoid fever; any remittent fever  
 
• FALL FLAT ON ONE’S ASS
vb. 1940s Amer. sl. – to fail, esp. ignominiously and spectacularly  
 
• FALL FLAT ON ONE’S FACE
vb. 1970s Amer. sl. – to make an embarrassing mistake, failed attempt, catastrophic decline, etc.  
 
• FALL FOR
vb. 1. L19 sl. – to become pregnant with or by  
vb. 2. 1903 Amer. colloq. – to be deceived or duped by; to be taken in by something or someone; also, to naively accept as true  
vb. 3. 1903 colloq. – to be greatly attracted by, esp. a member of the opposite sex; to become charmed or captivated by; to fall in love with 
vb. 4. 1903 Amer. sl. obs. – to like or enjoy
 
• FALL FORTH
vb. 1. 1604 obs. – to happen; to occur
vb. 2. 1607 obs. – to quarrel, to fight
 
• FALL FOUL OF
vb. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – to quarrel with
 
• FALL-FROM-GRACE
n. 1970 Amer. dial. – a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all  
 
• FALL FROM ONE’S MEAT
vb. 1895 Eng. dial. – to lose appetite  
 
• FALL GUY
n. 1. 1906 Amer. sl. – a person who is easily duped; an easy victim  
n. 2. 1906 Amer. sl. – a person who willingly or not takes the blame and punishment for another’s misdoings; a scapegoat
n. 3. 1929 Amer. jocular usage – in the film industry: a stuntman  
vb. 1930 Amer. criminals’ sl. – (usually as ‘fall-guy’) to exploit as a ‘fall guy’ (scapegoat)  
 
• FALL HEADLAND
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to fall headlong  
 
• FALL HEAVY
vb. 1854 Eng. dial. – to die rich