root crop

American  

noun

1. a crop, as beets, turnips, or sweet potatoes, grown for its large and edible undergound parts.

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root crop British  

noun

1. a crop, as of turnips or beets, cultivated for the food value of its roots

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Etymology

Origin of root crop

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

“In many ways, turnips are the unsung heroes of the root crop universe,” Waxman writes.

From Washington Times • Jun. 19, 2017

The next year he planted a root crop, such as turnips, to restore nutrients.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

None of the scientists had an answer but someone suggested putting the root crop through a molecular spectroscope to break down its chemical composition.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many centuries ago, however, a new root crop of ultimately South American origin, the sweet potato, reached New Guinea, probably by way of the Philippines, where it had been introduced by Spaniards.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

He never thinks of giving his grain field a breathing spell by planting it with potatoes or any other root crop, and substituting a different style of cultivation.

From Aztec Land by Ballou, Maturin Murray