LOP

v. & n. --v. (lopped, lopping) 1 tr. a (often foll. by off, away) cut or remove (a part or parts) from a whole, esp. branches from a tree. b remove branches from (a tree). 2 tr. (often foll. by off, away) remove (items) as superfluous. 3 intr. (foll. by at) make lopping strokes on (a tree etc.). --n. parts lopped off, esp. branches and twigs of trees. ølop and top (or crop) the trimmings of a tree. øølopper n. [ME f. OE loppian (unrecorded): cf. obs. lip to prune]