lop

¹

[lop]

verb (used with object)

lopped, lopping 

1. to cut off (branches, twigs, etc.) from a tree or other plant.

2. to cut off (a limb, part, or the like) from a person, animal, etc.

3. to cut off the branches, twigs, etc., of (a tree or other plant).

4. to eliminate as unnecessary or excessive.

   We had to lop off whole pages of the report before presenting it to the committee.

5. Archaic.,  to cut off the head, limbs, etc., of (a person).

verb (used without object)

lopped, lopping 

1. to cut off branches, twigs, etc., as of a tree.

2. to remove parts by or as by cutting.

noun

1. parts or a part lopped off.

2. (of trees) the smaller branches and twigs not useful as timber.

lop

²

[lop]

verb (used without object)

lopped, lopping 

1. to hang loosely or limply; droop.

2. to sway, move, or go in a drooping or heavy, awkward way.

3. to move in short, quick leaps.

   a rabbit lopping through the garden.

verb (used with object)

lopped, lopping 

1. to let hang or droop.

   He lopped his arms at his sides in utter exhaustion.

adjective

1. hanging down limply or droopingly.

   lop ears.

LOP

³

abbreviation

Navigation.

1. line of position.

lop

¹

/ lɒp /

verb

1. to sever (parts) from a tree, body, etc, esp with swift strokes

2. to cut out or eliminate from as excessive

noun

1. a part or parts lopped off, as from a tree

lop

²

/ lɒp /

verb

1. to hang or allow to hang loosely

2. (intr) to slouch about or move awkwardly

3. (intr) a less common word for lope

lop

³

/ lɒp /

noun

1. dialect,  a flea

Other Word Forms

• lopper noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lop¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English loppe “cut off twigs or branches”; further origin uncertain; perhaps akin to Old English loppe “spider”; lop ², lobster

Origin of lop²

First recorded in 1570–80; verb use of obsolete noun lop “spider” or lop “drooping part of a tree,” that is, “to behave like a lop, to dangle, hang loosely”; lop ¹, lob ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of lop¹

C15 loppe branches cut off; compare _lob ¹

Origin of lop²

C16: perhaps related to _lop ¹ ; compare _lob ¹

Origin of lop³

probably from Old Norse hloppa (unattested) flea, from hlaupa to _leap

Example Sentences

A few scenes have been lopped off entirely.

From Los Angeles Times

Roley moved from Arizona to Idaho in 2023 to work for his father's tree lopping company, his mother said in a social media post.

From BBC

In his Newsnight interview, Lowe said of Farage's "brutal" leadership style "If people become, if you like, too tall a poppy, he tends to lop off the head of the poppy".

From BBC

This, the Conservative leader and former business secretary Kemi Badenoch argued, is "lop sided" and why she didn't sign off on the deal when she was in government.

From BBC

The fruits of all that research have been blithely and abruptly lopped off the vine.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• shear