reaping-machine
Definition
- Noun:
- A mechanical harvester: A "reaping-machine" is a mechanical device used in agriculture to cut and gather grain crops like wheat or barley, replacing manual labor with a sickle or scythe.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The farmer purchased a new reaping-machine to speed up the wheat harvest. (A mechanical harvester for cutting grain.)
- Before the invention of the reaping-machine, reaping was done by hand. (A historical agricultural implement.)
Advanced Usage
- "reaping-machine" in historical context: Often refers to early 19th-century inventions like Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper, which revolutionized farming.
- The reaping-machine of the 1830s could cut more grain in a day than ten men. (Highlighting its efficiency over manual labor.)
Variants and Related Words
Reaper (n): a person or machine that reaps; often used interchangeably with "reaping-machine" for the machine itself.
- The reaper moved swiftly across the field. (A machine that cuts grain.)
Reaping (n/adj): the action of cutting grain; related to the process.
- Reaping season is the busiest time of year for farmers. (The act of harvesting.)
Synonyms
- Harvester: a machine for harvesting crops.
- Reaper: a machine or person that reaps grain.
Phrasal Verbs
Reap in: to gather or collect (crops) by using a reaping-machine.
- They hope to reap in the barley by next week. (To harvest using the machine.)
Reap out: to cut and remove (grain) from the field.
- The reaping-machine can reap out an acre per hour. (To extract the crop.)
Related Idioms
Reap what you sow: to receive consequences of one's actions (not directly tied to the machine, but derived from reaping).
- If you work hard, you will reap what you sow. (You will earn the results of your efforts.)
Make a killing: to achieve great financial success, often used in agricultural contexts with a reaping-machine.
- With the new reaping-machine, the farmer made a killing at harvest time. (Earned a large profit.)