definitions

reap

[ reep ]
/ rip /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reap ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to cut (wheat, rye, etc.) with a sickle or other implement or a machine, as in harvest.
to gather or take (a crop, harvest, etc.).
to get as a return, recompense, or result: to reap large profits.

verb (used without object)

to reap a crop, harvest, etc.

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RELATED WORDS

derive, receive, obtain, garner, produce, gain, recover, realize, cull, draw, cut, retrieve, secure, get, profit, acquire, glean, gather, mow, procure

Nearby words

ream, reamer, rean, reanalysis, reanimate, reap, reaper, reaping machine, reappear, reappearance, reapply

Origin of reap

before 900; Middle English repen, Old English repan, riopan; cognate with Middle Low German repen to ripple (flax); akin to ripe
Related formsreap·a·ble, adjectiveun·reaped, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reaping

British Dictionary definitions for reaping

reap

/ (riːp) /

verb

to cut or harvest (a crop), esp corn, from (a field or tract of land)
(tr) to gain or get (something) as a reward for or result of some action or enterprise
Derived Formsreapable, adjective

Word Origin for reap

Old English riopan; related to Norwegian ripa to scratch, Middle Low German repen to card, ripple (flax)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for reaping

reap

v.

"to cut grain with a hook or sickle," Old English reopan, Mercian form of ripan "to reap," related to Old English ripe "ripe" (see ripe). Related: Reaped; reaping.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper