dropper

plural droppers

1. A utensil for dispensing a single drop of liquid at a time.

   'Cause when the blood begins to flow When it shoots up the dropper's neck[…]

   1964, The Velvet Underground, “Heroin”

2. One who or that which drops something, especially one who drops a specific item to cause mischief.

   The dropper left the suitcase with the bomb next to the garbage can.

   1 more example

   The child with the letter runs around the outside of the ring, repeating the words over and over again, and at one point drops the letter behind one of the players, who must pick it up and chase the dropper.

   1975, Alison M. Abel, Popular Party Games, page 11

3. video gamesAn entity that drops objects of a particular kind.

   Some balls are droppers, which means they’ll drop another ball when you hit them.

   2025 February 1, Abbie Stone, “Golden Balls […]”, in Ben Mansill, editor, PC PowerPlay, number 308, Sydney, N.S.W.: Future Publishing Australia, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 62, column 2

   4 more examples

   In most tycoons, you will find an automatic machine called a dropper, which is used for producing bricks.

   2017, Christina Majaski, “Getting to Know Game Categories and Creating Tycoons”, in The Ultimate Unofficial Guide to Robloxing […], New York, N.Y.: Sky Pony Press, →ISBN, page 65, column 2

   Place droppers, conveyors and upgraders freely to crate a unique mine. […] You start on the plot of land on which you’ll build your mine. It will have an iron dropper, a conveyor belt and a furnace already built. […] Make use of the different designs to create systems that will serve multiple droppers at once.

   2018, Alex Wiltshire, Craig Jelley, “Miner’s Haven”, in Roblox Top Adventure Games […], London: Egmont, →ISBN, pages 54–55

   A dropper is used to eject items or push them into containers (including other droppers). When activated, it ejects one item. If multiple slots are occupied by items, a random occupied slot is chosen for ejection. If the dropper is facing a container, the ejected item is transferred into the container.

   2022, Gener Guzman, chapter 14, in Minecraft III: The Story of Steve, Stockholm; Redmond, Wash.: GeneralEpicStudios, →ISBN, page 121

   Now, with two blocks worth of Redstone dust, five iron ingots, a dropper and a crafting table, players can prompt useful resources like swords or bricks, to drop en masse with the press of a button.

   2024, Trone Dowd, “The Best of Tricky Trials […]”, in Bill Syken, editor, Minecraft […] (special Time edition), New York, N.Y.: Dotdash Meredith Premium Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 25, columns 2–3

4. computingA software component designed to install malware on a target system.
5. fishingA fly that drops from the leaden above the bob or end fly.
6. businessA branch vein which drops off from, or leaves, the main lode.
7. biologyThe young bulb of a tulip, not of flowering size.
8. A dog which suddenly drops upon the ground when it sights game.
9. AustraliaA batten fixed to a post-and-wire fence to keep the wires apart.
10. slangA person who uses fraudulent cheques.

    […] 'dropper' — the person who presents the cheque at the bank or elsewhere — who takes the risk. […] On the other hand, 'kite droppers' usually work in teams.

    1973, Arthur J. La Bern, Noël C. Browne, Haigh: the mind of a murderer, page 39

    1 more example

    Thus an American police chief discussing the 'cheque-droppers', then peculiar to his side of the Atlantic, who were taking a toll estimated at […] Over the years, forgery has tended to be an amateur operation — a crime of opportunity.

    1969, Criminologist, number 11, page 123

11. informalhobbiesA drop shot.
12. historicalball gamesA delivery by lob bowling (no longer legal).
13. historicalball gamesA bowler who makes such deliveries.
14. A seat post whose height can be adjusted while riding.