Slang dictionary
bumper crop
[ buhm-per krop ]
What does bumper crop mean?
A bumper crop is an unusually abundant harvest from a particular crop. The term is now most commonly used in a figurative way to refer to a large amount or influx of something (that鈥檚 often likened to a harvest).
Example: We have a bumper crop of candidates for the position.
The literal sense of the term usually refers to the harvest of a specific crop, but it can be applied to one at a particular farm or to the season鈥檚 harvest of a crop in general, such as across an entire region.
Example: Thanks to ideal growing conditions, California had a bumper crop of strawberries this year, and farmers鈥� markets are flush with them.
Where does bumper crop come from?
In bumper crop, crop is used in its usual noun sense referring collectively to produce being grown for harvesting鈥攕pecifically the yield of such growing. The adjective bumper is much more specialized and is now primarily used in the term bumper crop. As an adjective, bumper means 鈥渦nusually abundant鈥� and derives from the obsolete (no-longer-used) verb bump, meaning 鈥渢o bulge.鈥� Picture containers bulging with the new harvest because there鈥檚 so much of it鈥攖hat鈥檚 a bumper crop.
The term bumper crop has been used since at least the 1800s. Its figurative use increased in the 1900s.
Examples of bumper crop
Who uses bumper crop?
Bumper crop is perhaps most commonly used in a figurative way.
Blanket drive in Simi Valley brings bumper crop of donations for South Dakota reservation
— Ventura County Star (@vcstar)
Fans of Afrofuturism will see a bumper crop of graphic novels and comic books this year. Stories that meld African culture and science fiction are booming, with influences as wide-ranging as space travel, Caribbean folklore and Janelle Mon谩e.
— The New York Times (@nytimes)
It鈥檚 also still commonly used literally.
On a lighter note, who wants to help pick oranges? Bumper crop this year in our yard.
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1)
One upside of summer lasting into December: a bumper crop of Christmas peppers
— Forrest Wilder (@Forrest4Trees)
Hey, how are everyone's pumpkins doing? I hope you have a bumper crop growing, because pumpkins are perfect for crafting all kinds of Halloween decorations. I can't wait to see photos!
— Isabelle (@animalcrossing)
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of bumper crop like most terms we define on 亚洲网紅露点, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of bumper crop that will help our users expand their word mastery.