From Middle English crop, croppe, from Old English 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.
Agriculture, Business, Lifestyle A plant, grown for it, or its fruits or seeds, to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, or fuel or for any other economic purpose.
The farmer had to decide which crop to grow as his main bet for the coming year. Would it be barley, oats, or something else?
2
The production amount of such an output for a specific season or year, particularly of plants.
It was a good crop of oats this year. What a nice change after last year's crop!
3
Figuratively A group, cluster, or collection of things occurring at the same time.
The decade produced a whole crop of ideas about space travel.
The university had an exceptional crop of graduates in 1892, including three who went on to win Nobel Prizes.
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And even if Anna Wintour wanted to invite a fresh crop of internet talent, who would she choose? Can you name anyone in the past year who has ascended in a major way?2024 June 26, Stephanie McNeal, “Influencers Aren’t Getting Famous Like They Used To”, in Glamour:
4
A group of vesicles at the same stage of development in a disease.
The patient had a crop of bumps indicative of chicken pox.
5
The lashing end of a whip.
6
An entire short whip, especially as used in horse-riding.
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A rocky outcrop.
8
The act of cropping.
9
A photograph or other image that has been reduced by removing the outer parts.
This indicates to the engraver that the subject may be cropped to yield the size desired, but it is advisable that the position for the crop also be determined and marked, else some essential feature of the copy may be cut off by arbitrary cropping to get the required size.1924, Harry Appleton Groesbeck Jr., “Preparation of Copy”, in The Process and Practice of Photo-engraving, Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, →OCLC, Indicating Sizes, page 234:
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A short haircut.
She went from a ponytail to a crop.
Eton crop
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From an inner pocket he produces a costly Ramillies Wig, shakes it out in a brisk Cloud of scented Litharge, and claps it on, with a minimum of fuss, over his ascetic’s Crop.1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon, 1st US edition, New York: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, part One: Latitudes and Departures, page 227:
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Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences A pouch-like part of the alimentary tract of some birds (and some other animals), used to store food before digestion or for regurgitation.
A little bird sat on the edge of her nest; Her yellow-beaks slept as sound as tops; That day she had done her very best, And had filled every one of their little crops.1871, George MacDonald, “The Early Bird”, in At the Back of the North Wind:
The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop.1892 [January], A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. VII.—The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume III (January to June), number [13], London: George Newnes, Limited, […], page 84, column 2:
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As the wildebeest shrinks, the circle of sated birds lounging in the short grass expands. With bulging crops, the vultures settle their heads atop folded wings and slide their nictitating membranes shut.2015 December, Elizabeth Royte, “Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need to Save Them.”, in National Geographic, archived from the original on 13 Dec 2015:
Etymology 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.
To remove the top end of something, especially a plant.
I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 17:22:
2
To mow, reap or gather.
3
To cut (especially hair or an animal's tail or ears) short.
And the knave who refuses to drink till he fall, / Why the hangman shall crop him — ears, love-locks, and all.1890, George John Whyte-Melville, Holmby House: A Tale of Old Northamptonshire, page 92:
4
To remove the outer parts of a photograph or other image, typically in order to frame the subject better.
Reduce to six inches wide and crop to eight inches high.1924, Harry Appleton Groesbeck Jr., “Preparation of Copy”, in The Process and Practice of Photo-engraving, Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, →OCLC, Indicating Sizes, page 234:
You'll see that when you enlarge a subject to many times its normal size, and then crop the photo so there is nothing in proportion to be recognized, all resemblance to the original can be hidden.1944 July, “WHAT ARE: Name These Enlarged Pictures”, in Popular Science, volume 145, number 1, →ISSN, page 168:
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Crop the photo for emphasis and composition.1964, Proctor P. Taylor Jr., “Photographs”, in Preparing Contractor Reports for NASA: Technical Illustrating (NASA Special Publications; 7008), 2nd edition, Scientific and Technical Information Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, published 1967, →OCLC, NASA SP-7008, page 18:
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To yield harvest.
6
To cause to bear a crop.
to crop a field
7
To beat with a crop, or riding-whip.
She cropped the horse into a comfortable canter and enjoyed the familiar rhythm and bounce of the horse's stride.2013, Mary Hart Perry, Seducing the Princess: