Crop
/krɒp/noun
The harvested produce of plants, or the plants themselves grown for harvest.
Did you know?English crop is historically tied to the idea of a protruding top or rounded lump, and that same old root also lives in words for a bird’s beak and a swelling—language literally grew from shape.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gerbh-
“to scratch, carve, or make a pointed/protruding shape”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krupaz
“a projection, top, or bunch”
Old English
English
cropp
“the top, summit, or head of a plant; also a bunch or cluster”
Middle English
English
crop
“the top or head; later, the produce of plants cut and gathered”
Modern English
English
crop
“the harvested yield of plants; also a short haircut or a cut-off top”