- 1[countable] a plant that is grown in large quantities, especially as food Sugar is an important crop on the island. crop rotation/production/yield The crops are regularly sprayed with pesticides. Topic CollocationsFarminggrowing food and raising animals
- plant trees/seeds/crops/vines/barley
- grow/produce corn/wheat/rice/fruit
- plow land/a field
- sow/harvest seeds/crops/fields
- spread manure/fertilizer on something
- cultivate/irrigate/water/contaminate crops/plants/fields/land
- damage/destroy/lose your crop
- ripen/pick fruit/berries/grapes
- press/dry/ferment grapes
- grind/thresh grain/corn/wheat
- raise/rear/keep chickens/poultry/cattle/pigs
- raise/breed/feed/graze livestock/cattle/sheep
- butcher/kill/slaughter livestock
- preserve/smoke/cure/salt meat
- run a fish farm/an organic dairy farm
- engage in/be involved in intensive (pig/fish) farming
- use/apply (chemical/organic) fertilizer/insecticides/pesticides
- begin/do/conduct field trials of GM (= genetically modified) crops
- grow/develop GM crops/seeds/plants/foods
- fund/invest in genetic engineering/research
- improve/increase crop yields
- face/suffer from/alleviate food shortages
- label food that contains GMOs (= genetically modified organisms)
- eliminate/reduce farm subsidies
- oppose/be against factory farming/GM food
- promote/encourage/support organic/sustainable farming
- 2[countable] the amount of grain, fruit, etc. that is grown in one season synonym harvest a fall in this year's coffee crop We are looking forward to a bumper crop (= a very large one).
- 3[singular] a crop of something a group of people who do something at the same time; a number of things that happen at the same time the current crop of trainees She is really the cream of the crop (= the best in her group). a crop of disasters/injuries whip
- 4[countable] a short whip used by horse riders a riding crop hair
- 5[countable] a very short hairstyle
- 6[singular] a crop of dark, fair, etc. hair/curls hair that is short and thick He had a thick crop of black curly hair. of bird
- 7(technology) a part of a bird's throat shaped like a bag where food is stored before it passes into the stomach
plants for food
Check pronunciation: crop