stop the show

1. To be applauded with so much enthusiasm as to interrupt the show, play, etc (hence showˈ-stopper noun the act, line, etc, so applauded; showˈ-stopping adjective generating so much applause as to interrupt the show, etc)
2. To have a sensational effect

stop /stop/

transitive verb (stoppˈing; stopped)

1. To cause to cease
2. To bring to a standstill
3. To hinder or prevent the passage of
4. To prevent
5. To cease from, leave off, discontinue
6. To obstruct
7. To snuff, block, plug, choke, close up (often with up)
8. To thrust, cram (obsolete except as Scots stap)
9. To bring down, hit with a shot
10. To withhold
11. To instruct one's bank to withhold payment of (a cheque)
12. To restrain
13. To limit the vibrating length of, esp by pressure of a finger (music)
14. To punctuate
15. To pinch off (the tip of a growing stem) (horticulture)
16. To be struck by (a bullet, blow, etc) (informal)
17. To adjust the aperture of, with a diaphragm (photography)
18. To place a pause in, esp at the end of a line or couplet (prosody)
19. To make fast by lashing (nautical)

intransitive verb

1. To come to a standstill, halt
2. To cease
3. To desist
4. To come to an end
5. To stay, tarry, sojourn (informal)

noun

1. An act of stopping
2. The state of being stopped
3. Cessation
4. A halt
5. A pause or interruption
6. A halting-place
7. A hindrance
8. An obstacle
9. A contrivance that limits motion
10. A card that interrupts the run of play
11. A diaphragm (photography and optics)
12. An aperture setting (photography)
13. The stopping of an instrument or string
14. A fret on a guitar, etc
15. A fingerhole, a key for covering it, or other means of altering pitch or tone
16. A set of organ pipes of uniform tone quality
17. A knob operating a lever for bringing them into use
18. A mechanism on a harpsichord for bringing particular strings into play
19. (also stopˈ-consonant) a sound requiring complete closure of the breath passage, a mute (phonetics)
20. A punctuation mark
21. A stud on a football boot (Aust)
22. The angle between the forehead and muzzle in a dog or cat, taken as an indication of proper structure in breeding and showing

stopˈless adjective

stoppˈage noun

1. An act of stopping
2. The state of being stopped
3. A stopping of work, as for a strike
4. Obstruction
5. An amount stopped off pay

stopped adjective

stoppˈer noun

1. A person who stops
2. That which stops
3. A plug
4. A plug (usu glass) for a bottle
5. A short rope for making something fast (nautical)

transitive verb

To close or secure with a stopper

stoppˈing noun

1. The action of one who or that which stops in any sense (double-stopping simultaneous stopping of and playing on two strings)
2. Stuffing or filling material, esp for teeth

stop-and-searchˈ noun

A police policy of random searching of people in the streets, to look for concealed weapons, etc usu during or just after a period of civil disobedience (also adjective)

stopˈbank noun (NZ)

An embankment to prevent flooding

stop bath noun

A substance in which a photographic negative or print is immersed in order to halt the action of the developing solution

stopˈcock noun

1. A short pipe opened and stopped by turning a key or handle
2. Loosely, the key or handle

stop codon noun (biology)

One of three specific codons which do not code for an amino acid but cause protein synthesis to stop

stop-frame camera noun

A film camera that can be adjusted to take a reduced number of frames, used in creating the effect of pixilation (qv)

stopˈgap noun

A temporary expedient or substitute (also adjective)

stop-goˈ adjective

(of policy) alternately discouraging and encouraging forward movement

noun

A stop-go economic policy, etc

stop hit noun (fencing)

A thrust made at the moment the opponent draws breath for his or her thrust

stopˈlight noun

1. A brake light on a vehicle (N American)
2. A traffic light

stopˈ-loss adjective (stock exchange)

Of or relating to an order to a stockbroker to sell shares when their value drops below a certain level, to minimize losses

stopˈ-motion adjective

Of or relating to stop-motion animation, a technique in which filming is repeatedly stopped to allow very slight changes of position in the subjects being filmed, creating the illusion of movement when the film is run

stopˈ-off or stopˈoff noun

A stopover

stopˈ-out noun (informal)

A person who goes out for the evening and remains away from home until late or for the whole night

stopˈover noun

A break in a journey, esp a short stay overnight in the course of a journey

stoppage time noun (sport)

Additional time allowed for play to compensate for time lost in dealing with injuries and other interruptions

stoppˈing-out noun

Selective use (of a protective covering against acids in etching, against light in photography) to create special effects

stoppˈing-place noun

stopping power noun (physics)

The energy loss resulting from a particle traversing a material

stopˈ-press or stop press noun

1. Late news inserted in a newspaper after printing has begun
2. A space for it

stopˈwatch noun

An accurate watch readily started and stopped, used in timing a race, etc

pull out all the stops

To do one's utmost, using all one's energy and efforts

pull out a…stop

To emphasize a (specified) emotional element in a situation

stop at nothing see under nothing

stop down

(of a camera lens) to reduce the size of the aperture

stop off, stop over, stop in or (N American) stop by

To break one's journey, pay a visit to (usu with at)

stop out

To remain away from home all night

stop the show see under show

stop thief!

A cry for help to catch a thief