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crop

n. · v.
US //ˈkɹɑp// UK //kɹˈɒp// crop
  1. 1 agricultural plants (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Agriculture

    a plant such as wheat, fruit, or vegetables that is grown in large amounts by farmers.

    a cultivated plant that is grown on a large scale commercially, especially a cereal, fruit, or vegetable.

    Example

    The farmers are worried because the coffee crop was damaged by the heavy rain.

    Example

    The region's primary cash crop is tobacco, though many local farmers are beginning to diversify into organic soy production.
  2. 2 a group of things (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a group of people or things that appear at the same time.

    a batch or collection of people or things appearing or produced at the same time.

    Example

    This year's crop of graduates is the most talented we have seen in a decade.

    Example

    The current crop of political thrillers reflects a growing public anxiety regarding digital surveillance and data privacy.
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  1. 3 short haircut (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a very short hairstyle.

    a hairstyle in which the hair is cut very short.

    Example

    She decided to change her look and went for a stylish blonde crop.

    Example

    The actress appeared at the premiere with a severe dark crop that emphasised her high cheekbones.
    • buzzcut
  2. 4 bird anatomy (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a part of a bird's throat where food is stored before it is digested.

    a muscular pouch near the gullet or throat of a bird or insect, used for storing food before digestion.

    Example

    The mother bird stores seeds in her crop to feed her young later.

    Example

    The veterinarian examined the pigeon's crop to determine if the blockage was caused by ingested plastic debris.
    • craw
    • gullet
  3. 5 to trim a photo (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Computing

    to cut off the edges of a photograph so that it fits a space or looks better.

    to remove the outer parts of an image to improve framing or change the aspect ratio.

    Example

    You should crop the photo to remove the person standing on the left.

    Example

    The editor decided to crop the portrait tightly around the subject's face to create a more intimate and dramatic effect.
  4. 6 to cut short (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to cut something very short, like hair or grass.

    to cut something, especially hair or vegetation, very short.

    Example

    The sheep had their wool cropped close to their skin for the summer.

    Example

    The gardener cropped the hedge into a perfect rectangle to match the formal style of the estate.
Etymology 1

From Middle English crop, croppe, from Old English crop, cropp, croppa (“the head or top of a plant, a sprout or herb, a bunch or cluster of flowers, an ear of corn, the craw of a bird, a kidney”), from Proto-West Germanic kropp, from Proto-Germanic kruppaz (“body, trunk, crop”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewb- (“to warp, bend, crawl”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch krop (“crop”), German Low German Kropp (“a swelling on the neck, the craw, maw”), German Kropf (“the craw, ear of grain, head of lettuce or cabbage”), Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish kropp (“body, trunk”), Faroese and Icelandic kroppur (“body”). Related to crap. Doublet of group and croup.

Etymology 2

From Middle English croppen (“to cut, pluck and eat”), from Old English *croppian. Cognate with Scots crap (“to crop”), Dutch kroppen (“to cram, digest”), Low German kröppen (“to cut, crop, stuff the craw”), German kröpfen (“to crop”), Icelandic kroppa (“to cut, crop, pick”). Literally, to take off the crop (top, head, ear) of a plant. See Etymology 1.

Word family
Idioms5 entries

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