lop

1 of 3

noun

: 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

Examples of lop in a Sentence

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 Beneath the lop layer is the white, spongy pith, which is unpleasantly bitter. Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 22 Mar. 2023 What better way to remedy all of that than with a significant lop? Didi Gluck, Allure, 2 Mar. 2023 The loafer shape gives it a snappier look than your average slip-on, while the dusty rose shade offers a lop of color. Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Jan. 2022 Others turn just once from stiff to squishy, letting an animal like a starfish lop off one of its own arms to escape a predator. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2017 Apatow wears shade 203 in the outer part of the lip and slightly shade 10 to the center of the lop to create a gradient and make the lips appear even fuller. ELLE, 7 July 2022 With a base of biodegradable and recyclable rubber, a suede-y lop layer also features UV-protection to prevent fading with outdoor use. Vogue, 8 Jan. 2022
Verb
The exemptions work this way: On school taxes, a residence declared as a homestead currently gets $40,000 lopped off its taxable value. Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 13 July 2023 The canvas is turned vertically and the top of the taller tree appears lopped off to compress its shape into a bulky, churning mass. Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 11 May 2023 Her former business partner Sunny Balwani also had two years lopped off his sentence. David Meyer, Fortune, 11 July 2023 In fact, in the last three weeks, the Sox have lopped 2½ games off their deficit to the Jays and two from their gap with the Astros. Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023 The plan also increases the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000, allowing property owners to lop that off of the taxable value of their principal residence. Philip Jankowski, Dallas News, 14 July 2023 Hadley often lops off her tales in mid-stride: The final sentence lands with an abrupt thud, pushing readers into the negative space of unwritten scenes. Hamilton Cain, Washington Post, 8 July 2023 There’s no game clock in that final period, but after every five minutes of play, one player will be lopped off each team’s on-field roster until that winning goal is scored. Dempsey, said Friel, was instrumental in shaping the tournament’s unique rules and format, including the substitution rule. Michael Silverman, BostonGlobe.com, 31 May 2023 Some fish retain their heads, some have been lopped off. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023
Verb
Those wishing to mark the arrival of warmer weather with close-cropped chop—or simply lop off manes grown in quarantine—have a new bad gal advocate: Rihanna. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 6 May 2021 What is the best way to lop about 1 foot of height off? oregonlive, 29 Jan. 2023 Parents may be tempted to lop off the asymmetrical-faced end of this. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 8 Jan. 2012 The plan would generally restore pre-pandemic rail service, but lop off part of the Yellow Line, which would cease operations north of Mount Vernon Square. Justin George, Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2022 Barb Cooksley, a rancher in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, sets a personal goal to lop at least 1,000 trees each year to keep her family’s patch of prairie thriving. WIRED, 23 Nov. 2022 Within hours, the gates of the most notorious symbol of the Cold War opened for good, as champagne flowed and jubilant Germans with pickaxes began to lop off large chunks of the wall. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 27 June 2022 In mid-spring, before the plants start to show signs of flowers, lop off the two- to three-foot-high stalks. Bon Appétit, 29 Apr. 2022 With the weather heating up, this is a sweet way to lop off extra layers, but with a sweet, fresh twist. Elle Turner, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lop was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lop

Cite this Entry

“Lop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lop. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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