dropout
dropout Lexical Profile
dropout Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A student who leaves school, college, or university before completing a qualification, or a person who withdraws from a course, competition, or conventional society.
"Despite being a college dropout, the entrepreneur founded one of the most successful technology companies in the world."
A momentary loss of recorded audio, video, or transmitted digital data, often caused by a flaw in the storage medium or a brief interruption in signal transmission.
"The audio engineer had to re-record the vocal track because of a brief signal dropout during the chorus."
A slotted metal fitting at the end of a bicycle frame's front fork or rear stays into which the wheel axle is inserted and secured.
"He loosened the quick-release skewer and slid the rear wheel cleanly out of the horizontal dropouts."
Word Nuance & Usage
The one-word compound 'dropout' is a noun (or attributive noun modifier, as in 'dropout rate'), whereas the two-word phrase 'drop out' functions as a phrasal verb (e.g., 'to drop out of college').