root crop

noun

: a crop (such as turnips) grown for its enlarged roots

Examples of root crop 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.
Eliot Coleman, considered the dean of vegetable growers in this country, follows his legume planting of peas or beans with a leaf crop (lettuce or cabbage), followed by a root crop and then a fruit crop. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 19 Dec. 2025 Essentially desert country, its porous, sandy soil is inhospitable to all but a few types of shallow-root crops. Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025 Cole crops, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and broccoli, will be included on the non-root crop side. Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025 Slugs, aphids, cabbage loopers, and other plant pests nibble holes into leaves, burrow into root crops, and harm your vegetables and fruits in other ways. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for root crop

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of root crop was in 1834

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Root crop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20crop. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on root crop

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!