stop*/*/*/

[stɒp] verb I

1) [T] to prevent someone from doing something, or to prevent something from happening

Policies like this aren't going to stop crime.[/ex]

A broken leg won't stop me from going to the concert.[/ex]

2) [I/T] to no longer do something, or to no longer happen

When the rain stops, I'm going out.[/ex]

I want to stop smoking.[/ex]

3) to no longer move

The car stopped at the traffic lights.[/ex]

Lots of people stopped and stared at the accident.[/ex]

4) [T] to prevent someone from continuing to walk or drive so that you can talk to them

I stopped a woman and asked her for directions.[/ex]

5) [I/T] to no longer work, or to cause something to no longer work

My watch has stopped.[/ex]

Can you stop the engine?[/ex]

6) [I] if a bus or train stops somewhere, it stops moving in order to let passengers get on or off

Does the train stop at Cambridge?[/ex]

7) [I] to pause while you are moving or doing something so that you can do something else

He stopped and listened before opening the door.[/ex]

Jeff stopped to get a drink of water.[/ex]

•

stop at nothing — to do anything in order to get what you want, even if it is very bad[/ex]

stop it/that — used for telling someone not to do something that they are doing[/ex]

[i]Stop it! You'll hurt him.[/ex]

stop short of (doing) sth — to not do something, although you almost do it[/ex]

I stopped short of telling him what I really thought.[/ex]

- stop by

- stop off

II

noun [C]

stop */[stɒp]

1) a place where you stop on a journey, or the time that you are there

The president's first stop on his tour will be Honolulu.[/ex]

After a brief stop for coffee, we were on our way.[/ex]

2) a place where a bus or train stops in order to let passengers get on or off

I'm getting off at the next stop.[/ex]

•

come/jerk/skid etc to a stop — to stop moving[/ex]

put a stop to sth — to prevent or end something[/ex]

See:

pull I