Stop

1. to cease from, leave off, or discontinue: to stop running. 2. to cause to cease; put an end to: to stop noise in the street. 3. to interrupt, arrest, or check (a course, proceeding, process, etc.): Stop your work just a minute. 4. to cut off, intercept, or withhold: to stop supplies. 5. to restrain, hinder, or prevent (usually followed by from): I couldn't stop him from going. 6. to prevent from proceeding, acting, operating, continuing, etc.: to stop a speaker; to stop a car. 7. to block, obstruct, or close (a passageway, channel, opening, duct, etc.) (usually followed by up): He stopped up the sink with a paper towel. He stopped the hole in the tire with a patch. 8. to fill the hole or holes in (a wall, a decayed tooth, etc.). 9. to close (a container, tube, etc.) with a cork, plug, bung, or the like. 10. to close the external orifice of (the ears, nose, mouth, etc.). 11. Sports. to check (a stroke, blow, etc.); parry; ward off. to defeat (an opposing player or team): The Browns stopped the Colts. Boxing. to defeat by a knockout or technical knockout: Louis stopped Conn in the 13th round. 12. Banking. to notify a bank to refuse payment of (a check) upon presentation. 13. Bridge. to have an honor card and a sufficient number of protecting cards to keep an opponent from continuing to win in (a suit). 14. Music. to close (a fingerhole) in order to produce a particular note from a wind instrument. to press down (a string of a violin, viola, etc.) in order to alter the pitch of the tone produced from it. to produce (a particular note) by so doing.