crop

I. 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; cropping) 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

>