What is crop? Pronunciation and usage in English

crop means . Learn how to pronounce and use crop through vivid examples and easy-to-understand exercises.

Definition & pronunciation of crop

cropnoun

/krɒp/
Definition & pronunciation of crop

Okay, let's break down how to pronounce "crop" in English. There are two common pronunciations, and it depends on where you are in the US and how you want to sound!

1. The Most Common American Pronunciation (especially in the Midwest and parts of the West):

  • Pronunciation: /krɒp/ (rhymes with “drop”)
  • Breakdown:
    • kr: Like the "cr" in "crab"
    • ɒ: This is a short, "uh" sound, like in “hot” or “lot.” It’s often described as a rounded "uh" sound.
    • p: A simple "p" sound.

2. The Southern American Pronunciation (and increasingly heard elsewhere):

  • Pronunciation: /kroʊp/ (rhymes with “rope”)
  • Breakdown:
    • kro: Like “crow”
    • p: A simple "p" sound.

Here's a quick way to remember:

  • "Drop" is the common pronunciation in many parts of the US.
  • "Rope" is the Southern pronunciation.

Resources for Hearing the Pronunciation:

To help me give you even more tailored advice, could you tell me:

  • Where are you located (generally – e.g., US, UK, Australia)? This will help me suggest the most relevant pronunciation.

Usage and examples with the word crop in English

Let's break down how to use the word "crop" in English. It's a surprisingly versatile word with several different meanings! Here's a breakdown categorized by usage:

1. Agriculture & Harvesting (Most Common)

  • Meaning: A portion of a field of crops that is harvested. It refers to the area actually taken up by the plants.
  • Example: "The farmers harvested a large crop of wheat this year." “The crop yields were excellent due to the rain.”
  • Related terms: harvest, yield, acreage

2. Photography & Filmmaking (Visual Editing)

  • Meaning: To cut or trim (an image, video, or audio) to remove unwanted parts and focus on the main subject.
  • Example: "The editor cropped the photo to make the subject stand out." "She cropped the video to remove the beginning and end."
  • Related terms: frame, zoom, vignette

3. General “Cutting Out” or Reducing

  • Meaning: To cut, trim, or remove something, often to make it smaller or more focused. This is a broader application of the concept.
  • Example: "He cropped his hair for a more modern look." “The company cropped its operating costs.” (meaning reduced them)
  • Example: “She cropped the information to simplify the report.”

4. Fashion & Style (Clothing)

  • Meaning: Refers to a particular style or trend, particularly popular in a specific year.
  • Example: “The 1990s crop top was incredibly popular." "This season’s crop is all about bright colors.”

5. Figurative/Idiomatic Uses

  • Meaning: To become or appear suddenly and widely. (Often refers to a trend or topic)
  • Example: “Suddenly, ‘vintage’ cropped up everywhere.” (Meaning it became very popular suddenly.)
  • Example: “Interest in sourdough bread cropped up during the pandemic.”

6. (Less Common) A Short Period of Time

  • Meaning: A brief span of time.
  • Example: “It was just a crop of days before the storm.”

Tips for Using “Crop” Correctly:

  • Context is Key: Pay close attention to the context to understand which meaning is intended.
  • Combine with Specifics: Adding details strengthens your meaning (e.g., "cropped the photo," "harvested a crop of wheat").

Resources for Further Learning:

To help me give you even more tailored advice, could you tell me:

  • In what context are you thinking about using “crop”? (e.g., writing a story, discussing farming, talking about photography?)

Synonyms for the word crop

Practice with vocabulary crop

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. Agricultural analysts are forecasting a record _____ of corn due to favorable weather conditions.
  2. The editor had to _____ the bottom of the photo to fit the layout specifications for the journal.
  3. After a long growing season, the annual _____ usually takes place in late autumn, ensuring fresh produce for the market.
  4. The research team eagerly awaited the _____ of the clinical trials before publishing their findings.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer (There may be multiple correct answers per question)

  1. Which of the following terms can describe the collective agricultural output of a farm or region? a) livestock b) flora c) crop d) harvest e) yield

  2. If you need to remove unwanted parts from an image, what actions might you take using image editing software? a) Enhance b) Crop c) Rotate d) Trim e) Resize

  3. Which term best describes the total output or result of a sustained effort, similar to a harvest but not necessarily agricultural? a) outcome b) product c) harvest d) crop e) yield

  4. Which of these words specifically refers to the process of gathering ripened agricultural products from the fields? a) planting b) growing c) cultivating d) harvesting e) irrigating

  5. To make a written report more concise and focused without losing its core message, you would likely: a) elaborate b) summarize c) extend d) annotate e) paraphrase

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. Original: Due to the exceptionally good weather conditions, the region expects a very large quantity of agricultural produce this year. Rewrite: (Use "crop" or a related form)

  2. Original: The design team decided to cut down the edges of the image to make it fit precisely into the narrow column layout of the magazine. Rewrite: (Use "crop" or a related form)

  3. Original: The agricultural output from the experimental plots was significantly higher than predicted, indicating successful research. Rewrite: (Do not use "crop", use a suitable replacement word)

Answer:

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

  1. crop
  2. crop
  3. harvest
  4. outcome

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer

  1. c) crop, d) harvest, e) yield
  2. b) Crop, d) Trim
  3. a) outcome, b) product, d) crop, e) yield
  4. d) harvesting
  5. b) summarize

Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences

  1. Due to the exceptionally good weather conditions, the region expects a record crop this year.
  2. The design team decided to crop the image to make it fit precisely into the narrow column layout of the magazine.
  3. The agricultural yield from the experimental plots was significantly higher than predicted, indicating successful research.

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