Definition: a style of earring in two round or oval sections, with the second (sometimes detachable) immediately suspended from the first; the two parts, which may be made of any material, usually match, though the second may be larger or longer; dates from the late 18th century, and became so popular that the term "top and drop" was synonymous with "earring" in the early 1800s
Alternate Spelling: top-and-drop, day-night earrings (when the "drop" is detachable)
Example: Originally, when earrings were suspended from hooks or wires, the top section of a top and drop earring dangled just below the ear lobe; with the advent of posts in the mid-20th century, however, the "top" of a top and drop earring often rests in the lobe itself.