reap hook
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * A hand-held agricultural tool: A reap hook is a small, one-handed tool with a short wooden handle and a sharp, curved metal blade. It is designed for harvesting (cutting) cereal crops like wheat, barley, or oats by hand. The user grasps a bunch of stalks with one hand and uses the reap hook in the other hand to slice through them near the base.
Usage
The term "reap hook" specifically refers to the traditional tool used for manual harvesting. It is often discussed in historical or agricultural contexts. * The farmer used a reap hook to cut the ripe wheat. * Before the invention of mechanical reapers, the reap hook was an essential tool for the harvest. * The museum displayed an antique reap hook alongside other farming implements.
Advanced Usage
- Symbolic Use: The reap hook can be used symbolically to represent manual labor, traditional farming, or harvest time.
- The statue of the farmer held a reap hook, symbolizing his connection to the land.
Variants and Related Words
- Sickle: This is the most common synonym for "reap hook." The two terms are often used interchangeably, though "sickle" is more prevalent in modern English.
- Reaping hook: A less common variant spelling of the same tool.
- Harvesting knife: A more general term that could include similar tools.
Synonyms
- Sickle: A hand tool with a semicircular blade for cutting grass or grain.
- Billhook: A similar tool with a hooked blade, but often used for cutting woody stems or pruning, not typically for cereal crops.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To wield the reap hook: To engage in the act of harvesting by hand. This is a literal phrase, not a common idiom.
- For generations, his family had wielded the reap hook in these same fields.
Noun
- an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle