What does "reap" mean?
A bundle of grain; a handful of grain laid down by the reaper as it is cut.
Reap
/ɹiːp/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A bundle of grain; a handful of grain laid down by the reaper as it is cut.
- Grammar: reap is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abbreviate, abridge, abstract, accrued.
- Useful contrasts: outdoor sowing, avoid, dearth.
- Usage evidence: You know the phrase, we reap what we sow. I have sown the wind and this is my storm.
How to use "reap"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "reap" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "reap" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "reap" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "reap" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "reap" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abbreviate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "reap", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A bundle of grain; a handful of grain laid down by the reaper as it is cut.
Verb
- 1 To cut (for example a grain) with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine transitive
- 2 gather, as of natural products wordnet
- 3 To gather (e.g. a harvest) by cutting. transitive
"And when ye reape the haruest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reape the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy haruest."
- 4 get or derive wordnet
- 5 To obtain or receive as a reward, in a good or a bad sense. transitive
"to reap a benefit from exertions"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To terminate a child process that has previously exited, thereby removing it from the process table. transitive
"Until a child process is reaped, it may be listed in the process table as a zombie or defunct process."
- 7 To deprive of the beard; to shave. obsolete, transitive
"Came there a certaine Lord, neat and trimly drest; Fresh as a Bride-groome, and his Chin new reapt,"
- 8 rape euphemistic, slang
Example
"You know the phrase, we reap what we sow. I have sown the wind and this is my storm."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "reap"?
Common synonyms include: abbreviate, abridge, abstract, accrued, acquire, bag.
How do you use "reap" in a sentence?
You know the phrase, we reap what we sow. I have sown the wind and this is my storm.
How do you pronounce "reap"?
Pronounced /ɹiːp/.
Etymology
From Middle English repen, from Old English rēopan, rēpan, variants of Old English rīpan (“to reap”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīpan, from Proto-Germanic *rīpaną (compare West Frisian repe, Norwegian ripa (“to score, scratch”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reyb- (“to snatch”).