# cropper

/ˈkɹɑpɝ/ (US) · /kɹˈɒpɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cropper
Updated: 2026-08-24

## Senses

### 1. farm worker

noun · CEFR C1

a person who grows crops on a farm, especially fruit and vegetables

For teachers: a person who grows or harvests crops; in US history, often short for 'sharecropper', a tenant farmer who paid rent with a share of the harvest

- The cropper sold his apples at the market.
- After years of drought, the cropper had to sell his land and find work in the city.

### 2. come a cropper

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

used in the British phrase 'come a cropper': to fall over hard, or to fail suddenly and completely

For teachers: in the idiom 'come a cropper' (British, informal): to suffer a heavy physical fall, originally from a horse; figuratively, to fail badly or suffer a sudden, complete defeat

- He came a cropper on the icy steps outside the shop.
- The ambitious politician came a cropper when leaked emails revealed his backroom dealings, ending his campaign within a week.

## Examples

- The cropper sold his apples at the market.
- After years of drought, the cropper had to sell his land and find work in the city.
- The ambitious politician came a cropper when leaked emails revealed his backroom dealings, ending his campaign within a week.

## Usage notes

- In the compound verb phrase "come a cropper," the article is fixed and the expression is intransitive.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.