drop in

English

Noun

drop in (plural drop ins)

1. One who arrives unannounced or without an appointment.

   The office was efficient, but not well equipped to handle drop-ins.

2. (surfing) the act of dropping in (see verb below). Often hyphenated drop-in.

   2005: Drop-ins can and do happen by accident, as well as through frustration and confusion in a crowded lineup. — surfline.com Surfology [1]

Verb

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

1. (idiomatic) To arrive unannounced or with little or no warning; also, to visit without an appointment.

   I was in the garden covered with mud when my grandmother dropped in for a visit.

2. (surfing) to paddle into and take off on a wave another surfer is already riding.

   Most beginners are blissfully unaware that dropping in on someone is a cardinal sin — Neal Miyake, The Unwritten Rules of Surfing [2]

See also

• drop out
• show up