lop

1 of 3

noun

ˈläp 

: material cut away from a tree

especially : parts discarded in lumbering

lop

2 of 3

verb (1)

lopped; lopping

transitive verb

1

a(1)

: to cut off branches or twigs from

(2)

: to sever from a woody plant

b(1)

archaic : to cut off the head or limbs of

(2)

: to cut from a person

2

a

: to remove superfluous parts from

b

: to eliminate as unnecessary or undesirable

—usually used with off

lop

3 of 3

verb (2)

lopped; lopping

intransitive verb

: to hang downward : droop

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• bob
• clip
• crop
• cut
• cut back
• dock
• nip
• pare
• poll
• prune
• shave
• shear
• snip
• trim

Examples of lop in a Sentence

Verb (1)

the hair stylist started by lopping off several inches from her long tresses, before beginning to shape what was left

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The plaintiffs described the final round of admissions, called the lop. —Anemona Hartocollis, New York Times, 25 July 2023

Its performance, though flavored more along the lines of nutmeg than tabasco, whips up enthusiasm and lops off miles. —Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 June 2023

Verb

Loppers, sometimes called lopping shears or secateurs, are like heavy duty hand pruners with bigger blades and longer handles. —Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2024

In the scene’s climax, Art lops the mother’s arm off with an axe before delivering a final blow to her head. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English loppe

Verb (2)

perhaps imitative

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1519, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb (2)

1578, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lop

• lop-eared

Kids Definition

lop

verb

ˈläp

lopped; lopping

1

: to cut branches or twigs from a tree

2

: to remove unnecessary or undesirable parts from something

—usually used with off

lopper noun