drop off

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drop off (third-person singular simple present drops off, present participle dropping off, simple past and past participle dropped off)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To fall asleep.

   Synonym: drift off

   After two glasses of whiskey, Tom soon dropped off in front of the television.

   • 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     And when the Boy dropped off to sleep, the Rabbit would snuggle down close under his little warm chin and dream, with the Boy's hands clasped close round him all night long.

2. (idiomatic, transitive, especially US) To deliver; to deposit or leave; to allow passengers to alight.

   Coordinate terms: hand off, hand over

   Can you drop the kids off at school?

   I'll drop off your books when I see you tonight.

   • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:

     After dropping off travellers at Foregate Street, my train terminates at Shrub Hill - a station which boasts one of the best selection [sic] of semaphore signals left in the country.

3. (intransitive) To fall off.

   The leaves were slowly dropping off the tree.

4. (intransitive) To lessen or reduce.

   Sales have dropped off in recent months.

• doze off
• sack out
• (deposit): set down
• See Thesaurus:fall asleep

• drop-off