I. ˈkräp noun
Etymology: Middle English, craw, head of a plant, yield of a field, from Old English cropp craw, head of a plant; akin to Old High German kropf goiter, craw
Date: before 12th century
1. : a pouched enlargement of the gullet of many birds that serves as a receptacle for food and for its preliminary maceration ; also : an enlargement of the gullet of another animal (as an insect)
2.
a.
(1) : a plant or animal or plant or animal product that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence
an apple crop
a crop of wool
(2) : the total yearly production from a specified area
b. : the product or yield of something formed together
the ice crop
c. : a batch or lot of something produced during a particular cycle
the current crop of films
d. : collection
a crop of lies
3. : the stock or handle of a whip ; also : a riding whip with a short straight stock and a loop
4.
[ crop (II)]
a. : the part of the chine of a quadruped (as a domestic cow) lying immediately behind the withers — usually used in plural; see cow illustration
b. : an earmark on an animal ; especially : one made by a straight cut squarely removing the upper part of the ear
c. : a close cut of the hair
II. verb
( cropped ; crop·ping )
Date: 13th century
transitive verb
1.
a. : to remove the upper or outer parts of
crop a hedge
crop a dog's ears
b. : harvest
crop trout
c. : to cut off short : trim
crop a photograph
2. : to cause (land) to bear a crop
planned to crop another 40 acres
also : to grow as a crop
intransitive verb
1. : to feed by cropping something
2. : to yield or make a crop
3. : to appear unexpectedly or casually
problems crop up daily