plop

Everyday

1. The soft sound of something small dropping into water, like a pebble or a frog. tree →
2. (verb) To fall or drop with this sound. tree →
3. (verb, informal) To sit down or put something down heavily and carelessly: «She plopped down on the sofa.» tree →

In the lessons

Plop is an onomatopoeic word — it sounds like the noise it names (like splash, drip, buzz). In The Wind in the Willows, the river bank is full of small sounds like the plop of a water vole or a fish. In poetry and writing lessons it is used for sound effects. Phrase: «plop down».

Examples

• The frog jumped into the pond with a plop. tree →
• A big raindrop plopped onto my nose. tree →
• He plopped his bag on the floor. tree →
• Something went plop in the dark river. tree →
• She plopped down on the beanbag. tree →
• Two ice cubes plopped into my drink. tree →
• We heard a plop as the water vole dived. tree →

Note

Past plopped, -ing plopping (double p). It is an onomatopoeia. Compare: plop (small and soft), splash (bigger), sploosh (informal, big).