reaper en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈɹiːpɚ/ American English
Etymology
From Middle English reper, repare, repere, *riper (the last, attested only in surnames Ryper, Riper, etc.), from Old English rīpere (“reaper”), equivalent to reap + -er.
Meanings
-
One who reaps; a person employed to harvest crops from the fields by reaping.
Even as we looked some rumour seemed to have spread, for we saw the reapers hurrying from the fields.
1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
- A machine used to harvest crops.
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, capitalized, ellipsis, often) Ellipsis of Grim Reaper.
alt of Grim Reaper
Thereafter when their cups were brimmed anew with foaming wine the Red Foliot spake among them and said, “O ye lords of Witchland, will you that I speak a dirge in honour of Gorice the King that the dark reaper hath this day gathered?”
1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 31:She told me she wanted to meet the reaper I had only done her a favor She didn't deserve to die But I deserved to kill her
2014, “Graveyard Shift”, performed by The Acacia Strain:Don't fear the Reaper / We'll be able to fly
1976, Buck Dharma, “Don't Fear the Reaper”, performed by Blue Öyster Cult:Why is the Grim Reaper a man? True, the noun ending would theoretically allow us to visualize the reaper as a woman as well, but we don't.
1999, Karl S. Guthke, The Gender of Death: A Cultural History in Art and Literature, page 7:
- A recluse spider (Loxosceles and Sicarius spp.).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| reapers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
reaper-thresher · Norwood reaper · Grim Reaper · reaper-binder
Relateds
Translations (40)
ca segador (one who reaps) · el θεριστής (one who reaps) · es cosechadora (one who reaps) · la messor (one who reaps) · sv slåtterkarl (one who reaps) · af maaier (one who reaps) · sv lieman (one who reaps) · it vendemmiatore (one who reaps) · ru жнец (one who reaps) · rsk косач (one who reaps) · ota اوراقجی (one who reaps) · zdj mvunadji (one who reaps) · grc θεριστής (one who reaps) · pt ceifeiro (one who reaps) · sv skördeman (one who reaps) · es segador (one who reaps) · de Mäher (one who reaps) · de Mähder (one who reaps) · de Schnitter (one who reaps) · pl żeniec (one who reaps) · it raccoglitore (one who reaps) · rsk жачка (one who reaps) · fr récolteur (one who reaps) · nl maaier (one who reaps) · pt segador (one who reaps) · pt ceifador (one who reaps) · rsk жач (one who reaps) · cs sekáč (one who reaps) · id pembabat (one who reaps) · tr orakçı (one who reaps) · rsk косачка (one who reaps) · izh niittäjä (one who reaps) · it mietitore (one who reaps) · ar حَصَّاد (one who reaps) · pl żniwiarz (one who reaps) · fi elonkorjaaja (one who reaps) · hu arató (one who reaps) · fr moissonneur (one who reaps) · es cosechador (one who reaps) · mk же́твар (one who reaps)