0 to finish doing something that you were doing: --
[ + to infinitive ] I stopped to pick up a letter that I'd dropped.
Why don't you just stop somewhere and ask for directions?
Does this train stop at Finsbury Park?
Apparently she's stopped drinking.
The air conditioner has stopped working.
My watch must have stopped.
Stop it!/Stop that!
I couldn't stop laughing.
[ + -ing verb ] Stop shouting - you're giving me a headache!
1 to prevent someone from doing something: --
Something must be done to stop the fighting.
[ + -ing verb ] They've put barriers up to stop people (from) getting through.
If she really wants to leave, I don't understand what's stopping her.
4 the act of stopping an activity or journey, or a period of time when you stop: --
He used to smoke in bed when I first got to know him, but I soon put a stop to that!
Is this our stop (= where we must get off)?
I'm getting off at the next stop.
a bus stop
At the beginning of the project there were a lot of stops and starts.
We'd have been here sooner, but we made several stops along the way.
Please remain in your seat until the plane comes to a complete stop.
5 to finish doing something or end, or to cause someone or something to finish: --
We had an overnight stop in Singapore.
Is this your stop?
We made a couple of stops on the way so that Milly could go to the toilet.
We had a stop halfway through the journey and got some food.
We're hoping to make up time on the return journey by not stopping at night.
Shall we stop here for a while?