Definition of fall off

The origin of the phrase "fall off" dates back to the Old English language. In Old English, the phrase was "fellan" or "falan," which meant to drop or fall off. In its earliest uses, "fellan" was primarily used to describe the act of fruit or leaves falling from a tree during autumn. Therefore, the phrase "fall off" initially had a literal meaning related to the natural process of decay and shedding. Over time, the phrase became more versatile in its usage, and "fall off" came to describe any object or entity that fell away or detached suddenly and unexpectedly. For example, "the section of the building fell off during the storm" or "his confidence fell off after the failure." In contemporary English, "fall off" is still commonly used in figurative contexts, such as "my energy levels suddenly fell off" or "his attendance at meetings began to fall off." These uses of the phrase extend beyond the original meaning, but their origins can be traced back to the Old English root of "fall off."