cotton-picker

cotton-picker

A worker operates a cotton-picker in a large field.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A person who picks cotton: "cotton-picker" refers to an individual, typically a manual labourer, who harvests cotton by hand from the fields.
    • A machine that harvests cotton: "cotton-picker" also denotes a mechanical device designed to automate the process of picking cotton from the plant.
Usage Examples
  • (A person who manually harvests cotton.)
  • (A machine that harvests cotton.)
Advanced Usage
  • Historical and social context: The term "cotton-picker" is often associated with the history of agriculture in the southern United States, particularly during the era of slavery and sharecropping, where manual cotton picking was a common, arduous task.
    • The invention of the mechanical cotton-picker revolutionized the industry and reduced reliance on manual labour. (The machine transformed cotton farming.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Cotton (n): a soft, fluffy fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, used to make textiles.
    • The fields were full of ripe cotton ready for harvest. (The raw material.)
  • Picker (n): a person or machine that picks or gathers something.
    • She is a fruit picker during the summer season. (A general term for a harvester.)
Synonyms
  • Harvester: a person or machine that gathers crops.
  • Cotton harvester: a specific machine for cotton.
  • Field hand: a labourer who works in agricultural fields (often used historically).
Related Idioms
  • "Cotton-picker" as a mild exclamation (dated slang): In some informal, dated contexts, "cotton-picker" was used as a euphemistic expression of frustration or annoyance, similar to a mild swear word.
    • You cotton-picker! You broke my favourite vase! (A mild, playful insult, now considered old-fashioned and potentially offensive due to its association with racial stereotypes.)
Note on Usage
  • Sensitivity: The term "cotton-picker" can carry negative historical connotations, especially when used as a slang insult. It is best used in its literal, agricultural sense or in historical discussions, and avoided as a casual exclamation in modern speech.