Definition

Noun: A hand-held agricultural tool with a curved, sharp blade and a short handle, used for cutting grass, cereal crops, or other vegetation by a sweeping motion.

Usage

The term "reaping hook" specifically refers to the tool itself. It is used to describe the implement for manual harvesting. * The farmer sharpened his reaping hook before beginning the harvest. * Before mechanization, the reaping hook was an essential tool for cutting wheat.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Archaic Context: The term is often used in historical or literary descriptions of traditional farming.
  • The medieval peasants gathered their reaping hooks at dawn.

Variants and Related Words

• Sickle: A more common synonym for "reaping hook." The terms are often used interchangeably.
• Reap (verb): To cut and gather a crop, typically using a reaping hook or similar tool.

Synonyms

• Sickle
• Harvest hook
• Grass hook

Related Phrases/Idioms

• To reap what you sow: This common idiom, meaning to face the consequences of your actions, is metaphorically derived from the agricultural process of harvesting (reaping) the crops one has planted (sown). The "reaping" in the idiom evokes the image of using a tool like a reaping hook.
  • If you spread rumors, you will eventually reap what you sow.

Noun

1. an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle