crop duster
Americannoun
-
a pilot employed in crop-dusting from an airplane.
In 1942, he went from being a crop duster in Kansas to being a fighter pilot in the Pacific.
-
an airplane used in crop-dusting.
I made my first solo flight in that old crop duster.
Etymology
Origin of crop duster
First recorded in 1935–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Kern County: Mistaken for a government agent by foreign spies, Roger Thornhill, played by Cary Grant, is chased across a barren field in Indiana by a crop duster in “North by Northwest.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
Hefner’s wife and children said he began as a crop duster and had an aviation career that spanned more than 40 years.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2023
Hankey even hired a crop duster to fly over half of his 30 acres to test whether the plane would move more pollen around in the air and improve fertilization.
From Reuters ● Dec. 21, 2022
Pentagon officials say that — like the workhorse crop duster — the fixed-wing Sky Warden is designed to be versatile, durable and relatively inexpensive.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 4, 2022
“Son,” Mr. Lucas said, “I know some World War Two cats who can show you a thing or two if you really want to fly. Leave Crump and his crop duster alone.”
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
