stop

SaySTOP/stɑp//stɒp/

Verbstops, stopping, stopped

Noun pluralstops

30 meanings of stop

Practice

1
ceaseverbtransitive
To not do something any more, as in stop smoking, or to come to an end, as when the rain stops.
Like closing a book when you decide to quit reading.
You should stop eating so much candy.
He stopped complaining after a warning.
UsageStop eating means no more eating. Stop to eat means pause so you can eat.
Similarquit, cease, discontinue, halt, end
Oppositestart (entry), begin, continue, resume
2
verbcausativetransitive
To make something end, or to keep someone from doing something, as in 'stop the war'.
Like a fence that keeps a dog from running into the road.
Nothing can stop her from finishing the race.
The lock stopped the thief from opening the door.
UsageSay stop someone from doing something.
Similarprevent, halt, block, bar, interrupt
Oppositeallow, permit, start (entry), enable
3
verbintransitive
To stop moving, or to make someone or something stop moving, as when police stop a car.
Like a toy car that rolls until it bumps a wall and goes still.
The bus will stop right outside the school.
She stopped suddenly when she heard her name.
Similarhalt, pause
Oppositego (entry), start (entry), move, continue
4
boarding pointnouncountable
A marked place where a bus or train waits so people can get on and off.
Like a marked spot where a ride waits to pick you up.
I waited at the bus stop for ten minutes.
The next stop is right outside the museum.
UsageWait at the bus stop.
Similarhalt
5
stay brieflyverbintransitive
To stay somewhere for a short time.
Like resting at a friend's place during a long trip.
We can stop at my aunt's house tonight.
They stopped in the village for a few days.
UsageStop with a friend, or stop at a hotel.
Similarstay, lodge, rest
Note
6
nouncountable
One of several places you visit on a trip or tour, or an event held at one of them.
Our first stop on the road trip was a small beach town.
The band played to a full house at every stop of the tour.
UsageSay the last stop or the Paris stop.
Similardate
Note
7
nouncountable
A short break in a trip, or the act of stopping.
Like a short rest before you keep going.
We made a quick stop for gas on the way home.
The train came to a sudden stop.
UsagePut a stop to something means end it.
Similarlayover, stopover, halt, break, pause
Note

Less common meanings

8
plugverbtransitive
To close or block a hole or opening so nothing passes through.
Like putting a plug in a sink to keep the water in.
Dad used steel wool to stop up the mouse hole.
She stopped the leak with a piece of cloth.
UsageOften stop up a hole.
Similarplug, block, seal, fill, close
Oppositeopen, unblock, unplug
Note
9
period (mark)nouncountable
A punctuation mark, especially a period, or the word used for a period in old telegrams.
Like a tiny mark that tells a reader to pause.
Grandpa's telegram said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY STOP SEE YOU SOON STOP."
She forgot to put a full stop at the end of the sentence.
UsageUsually said as full stop.
10
noundatedcountable
Something that blocks the way or gets in the way.
A fatal stop trauerst their headlong course
1595, Samuel Daniel, The First Fowre Bookes of the Ciuile Wars between the Two Houses of Lancaster and YorkeHere, stop means something that blocks the way, an obstacle.
So melancholy a prospect should inspire us with zeal to oppose some stop to the rising torrent.
a. 1729, John Rogers, The Advantages of conversing with good MenHere, stop means something that blocks or holds back, a barrier.
Similarobstacle, impediment, hindrance, barrier, block
11
goal savenouncountable
In soccer, a save that keeps the other team from scoring.
Like catching a ball just before it goes through a window.
The goalie made a great stop in the last minute of the game.
Her diving stop kept the score level.
UsageUse make: The goalkeeper made a great stop.
Similarsave, block
12
limit piecenouncountable
A part, like a pin or block, that stops or limits how far something moves.
Like a small block that keeps a sliding part from going too far.
The machine has a metal stop that limits how far the arm swings.
A small stop keeps the drawer from sliding out completely.
Note
13
door frame stripnouncountable
A small strip fixed to a door frame that the door presses against when it shuts.
Like the rim inside a jar that a lid rests against when you close it.
The carpenter nailed a thin stop along the door frame so the door wouldn't swing through.
Paint had built up on the stop, keeping the door from closing all the way.
Note
14
closed consonantnouncountable
A speech sound made by briefly blocking the air completely with your lips, tongue, or throat.
Like pinching a straw shut and then letting the air rush out.
The 'p' sound is a stop because your lips block the air.
When you say 'tea,' the 't' is a stop made with your tongue.
Similarplosive, occlusive
Note
15
closed consonantverbtransitive
In speech, to say a sound by fully blocking the air for a moment, like a 'p' or 't'.
Like blocking a hose with your thumb for a second, then letting go.
Some speakers stop the 'th' sound, saying it more like a 't'.
Some little children stop the s sound, saying 'tun' for 'sun.'
Note
16
organ knobnouncountable
On an organ, a knob you pull to let air into a set of pipes, or that set of pipes.
Like a button that turns one group of pipes on or off.
She pulled out another stop to make the organ sound louder.
Pushing in a stop turned off that set of pipes.
UsagePull out all the stops means try as hard as you can.
Similarregister
Note
17
nouncountable
On a wind or string instrument, a hole or spot you cover or press to play a certain note.
Similarhole, fret
Note
18
press stringverbtransitive
In music, to press a string against the neck of an instrument to make a higher note.
Like pressing your finger on a rubber band to make it sound higher.
Press down to stop the string and you'll hear a higher note.
Beginners often press too lightly when they stop the string, so it buzzes.
Similarfinger, press, fret
Note
19
lens masknouncountable
A part inside a camera or microscope that blocks some of the light passing through the lens.
Like a screen over a window that lets less sunlight into a room.
Engineers fitted a small metal stop inside the lens to cut down stray light.
The brass stop behind the front element narrows the beam reaching the film.
Similardiaphragm
Note
20
exposure stepnouncountable
In photography, one step that doubles or halves the light a camera lets in, or a lens opening setting like f/8.
Like a dimmer step that makes a light twice as bright or half as bright.
Make the photo one stop brighter so the faces aren't so dark.
He cut the exposure by a stop to save the bright sky.
UsageSay one stop over for more exposure, or one stop under for less.
Note
21
verbtransitive or intransitive
In photography, to change how wide a camera lens opens to let in light.
Like turning a tap to let in less water, except here it's light.
Stop the lens down a little to sharpen the background.
If the photo looks too bright, just stop down before the next shot.
UsageSay stop down the lens.
Note
22
tennis shotnouncountable
In tennis, a soft, short shot that lands just past the net and barely bounces.
Like dropping a ball gently so it lands close and hardly jumps.
She won the point with a stop volley that barely bounced.
His stop volley dropped just over the net, and I couldn't get there in time.
UsageUsually stop volley.
Note
23
dog face dipnouncountable
On a dog's face, the dip between the forehead and the muzzle, near the eyes.
Like the small dip on your own face where your forehead meets your nose.
This breed has a deep stop between its eyes.
You can feel the stop where the dog's nose meets its forehead.
Note
24
verbtransitive
In trading, to put off buying or selling a stock while fixing its price for later.
It will be noted that the specialist would have refused to stop the stock for broker X if he (the specialist) had only one order to sell at 85.
1952, Charles Amos Dice, Wilford John EitemanHere, stop means to agree on a stock's price now but trade it later.
Note
25
verbobsolete
To put punctuation marks in writing.
[Francesco] Guicciardini, if his sentences were properly stopt, would be found in general both full and concise, whatever may be asserted to the contrary by the fastidious and inattentive.
1826, Walter Savage Landor, “Conversation XIII. [Vittorio] Alfieri and Salomon, the Florentine Jew.”
26
verb
On a boat, to tie something so it holds firm, often with a short rope.
27
noun
A patch of different-colored fur on a rabbit's back foot.
28
noun
In fencing, a quick thrust that cuts off the other fencer's attack.
29
noundialectalUK
A little pail for carrying milk or water.
30
noun
A possible particle that is the top quark's partner in a theory called supersymmetry.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of stop apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English stoppian, meaning 'to stop or close', from older Germanic roots. Some think it may come from a Latin word meaning 'to stop up with flax', but this is doubtful.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Stop derives from Old English stoppian, meaning 'to stop or close'. en.wiktionary.org
Stoppian has an older Germanic origin. en.wiktionary.org
A proposed Latin origin means stopping up with flax or tow, but that derivation is doubtful. en.wiktionary.org