1
chiefly British : a small enclosed field usually adjoining a house
2
chiefly British : a small farm worked by a tenant
crofter noun chiefly British

Examples of croft in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Crossing to Scotland, Lerwick adds Shetland ponies and stone crofts, Kirkwall delivers Norse-meets-Scottish history and Skara Brae-era vibes, and Edinburgh’s skyline crowns it with castle views before the elegant glide up the Thames to Greenwich. Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Meanwhile, as the Highland Clearances violently removed tenant-farmer Scots from their crofts, the more communal, indoor instruments all but disappeared. Elena Saavedra Buckley, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2025 Living on a croft, our family was there for some months in early 1967. John McPhee, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle Dutch krocht hill

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of croft was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Croft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/croft. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

croft

noun
1
chiefly British : a small enclosed field
2
chiefly British : a small farm worked by a tenant
crofter noun chiefly British

More from Merriam-Webster on croft

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