dropout—
1. a person who “drops out” from a course of study or from society:
- Many dropouts leave school long before their senior year. The ninth grade year is a particularly difficult year for students.
2. (attrib.) is used of people who leave a course of study, membership of a society, etc.:
- Is there a correlation between the dropout rate and the amount of money a school district spends?
fallout—
1. radioactive dust or particles (created by a nuclear explosion):
- Measurements were made on the concentration of fallout in the atmosphere and in rain water.
2. lasting negative consequences of an event or situation:
- Our ability to have as much sugar as we crave has had serious fallout on the health of Americans.
3. = dropout 2:
- Main reasons for this high fallout rate: financial difficulties, lack of interest, parental resistance to “useless” further education.