dropper

[ drop-er ]

noun

1. 1. Also called eyedropper,. a tube with a hollow rubber bulb at one end and a small opening at the other, for drawing in a liquid and expelling it in drops:

      For pets that don't like droppers, this medication also comes in a spray.

      You can dilute the tempera a little at a time by adding water with an eye dropper.

   2. the amount held or dispensed by such a tube:

      Take two droppers of the echinacea tincture, swish it in your mouth for about 15 seconds, and swallow.

2. Angling. a short length of nylon, gut, etc., tied to a leader so that another fly drop·per fly can be attached:

   This is a great summer fly that you can fish on a dropper or simply on its own.

3. a short-haired dog that is a cross between a pointer and a setter, so named because it drops to the ground, or crouches, on sighting game.
4. a person or thing that drops. drop.

dropper

/ ˈdrɒpə /

noun

1. a small tube having a rubber bulb at one end for drawing up and dispensing drops of liquid
2. a person or thing that drops
3. angling a short length of monofilament by which a fly is attached to the main trace or leader above the tail fly
4. a batten attached to the top wire of a fence to keep the wires apart

Word History and Origins

Origin of dropper¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; drop + -er ¹

Example Sentences

We also liked the low standover height and long-stroke dropper seatpost, especially when getting on and off the bike in untracked snow.

From Outside Online

Using droppers, start adding the paint mixture, color by color, into the container.

From Popular-Science

It’s hard to see the drops come out of the dropper, and using too few could cause a false negative.

From MIT Technology Review

If you’ve been having restless nights —no one would blame you these days— I cannot stress how much adding a dropper of this into my nighttime routine changed my entire day.

From The Daily Beast

Fifteen minutes after taking a full dropper, I can feel my legs go tingly.

From The Daily Beast

An easy way to put varnish in the grooves of a tennis racket is to use a medicine dropper.

From Project Gutenberg

The dropper was to be filled with corn, and, thus accoutred, he was ready for doing duty in the newly ploughed field.

From Project Gutenberg

“A dibble and a corn-dropper will be more in his way than the rifle, for some weeks to come,” said Mr. Howell.

From Project Gutenberg

The dropper is held by its handle while its contents are heated before use.

From Project Gutenberg

A hollowed nose-dropper made of metal in the shape of a small kerosene lamp22 is suggested (fig. 9).

From Project Gutenberg