cropper

See also: Cropper

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Etymology 1

See come a cropper.

Noun

cropper (plural croppers)

1. (normally confined to the expression come a cropper) A fall, a tumble; a decided failure.
   • 1900, Sigmund Freud, “The Interpretation of Dreams”, in James Strachey, transl., Avon Books, page: 185:

     But to myself I thought: ‘Considering that for eight whole years I sat on the front bench as top of the class while he drifted about somewhere in the middle, he can hardly fail to nourish a wish, left over from his schooldays, that some day or other I may come a complete cropper.’

   • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section II, page 20:

     You're riding for a fall, Healey, you know that? There are hedges and ditches ahead and you are on course for an almighty cropper.

Derived terms

• come a cropper
• go a cropper

Etymology 2

From crop +‎ -er, in reference to a bird's crop.

Noun

cropper (plural croppers)

1. A breed of domestic pigeon with large crop.

Etymology 3

From crop +‎ -er (occupational suffix) or +‎ -er (relational suffix), in reference to agricultural crops.

Noun

cropper (plural croppers)

1. A person who nurtures and gathers a crop.
2. A variety of plant producing a good harvest.
   • 1901 July 5, “Coast Fruit”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record‎^[1], volume 4, number 9, page 284:

     The mango tree cannot be regarded as a reliable cropper.

Derived terms

• heathcropper

Etymology 4

From crop +‎ -er, from the verb.

Noun

cropper (plural croppers)

1. A machine for cropping, as for shearing off bolts or rod iron, or for facing cloth.

Derived terms

• bolt cropper

Middle English

Noun

cropper

1. Alternative form of croper