lop

1 of 3

noun

ˈläp How to pronounce lop (audio)
Synonyms of lopnext
: 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 of lop

Relevance

Verb (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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.
Noun
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
Verb
Kentucky lopped 10 cents off in May. — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 May 2026 Just look for dead or damaged branches to lop off, but leave those tender branches alone. — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lop

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

Phrases Containing lop

Rhymes for lop

See All Rhymes for lop

Browse Nearby Words

lootsman
lop
loparite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lop. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of lop for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All