crop-dust: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (for agricultural sense); Low to Medium (for humorous, informal sense)Highly Informal (for flatulence sense); Technical/Agricultural (for farming sense)
Quick answer
What does “crop-dust” mean?
To fly low over agricultural fields in an aircraft to spray crops with pesticides or fertilizer from the air.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To fly low over agricultural fields in an aircraft to spray crops with pesticides or fertilizer from the air.
To emit a sudden, noticeable release of intestinal gas in a public space while continuing to walk, pretending nothing happened.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The humorous slang meaning is slightly more common in American English. The agricultural term is understood but less common in the UK due to differing farm practices.
Connotations
The slang meaning is universally seen as rude and jocular, not appropriate for formal contexts. The agricultural term is neutral and descriptive.
Frequency
In everyday conversation, the slang meaning is vastly more likely to be encountered than the agricultural one in both regions, but primarily in informal American contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “crop-dust” in a Sentence
[Subject] crop-dusts [Location/Area]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crop-dust” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He joked about having to crop-dust the entire wheat field before the storm.
- After the curry, he was tempted to crop-dust the queue at the post office.
American English
- The farmer hired a pilot to crop-dust the soybean acreage.
- He totally crop-dusted the conference room on his way back from the coffee break.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never appropriate.
Academic
Only in historical or technical papers on agriculture.
Everyday
Exclusively in very informal, humorous settings among friends.
Technical
The literal agricultural process.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “crop-dust”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “crop-dust”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crop-dust”
- Using it in a formal or mixed setting.
- Confusing it with 'crop dust' (noun) meaning the dust from harvested crops.
- Using it as a transitive verb without an object (e.g., 'He crop-dusted' is acceptable; 'He crop-dusted the beans' is the agricultural sense).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The slang meaning is informal, humorous, and deals with a bodily function. It is not for polite or formal conversation.
Yes, but less commonly. 'Crop dusting' (noun, agricultural) and 'a crop dust' (noun, slang for an instance of the act) are possible.
It arose in late 20th-century American slang, drawing an analogy between the path of an agricultural plane releasing a cloud and a person walking through a space releasing intestinal gas.
Only at advanced levels for cultural recognition and to prevent accidental misuse. It is a 'receptive' vocabulary item (to understand) rather than 'productive' (to use actively).
To fly low over agricultural fields in an aircraft to spray crops with pesticides or fertilizer from the air.
Crop-dust is usually highly informal (for flatulence sense); technical/agricultural (for farming sense) in register.
Crop-dust: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkrɒp ˌdʌst/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkrɑːp ˌdʌst/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He's not walking, he's crop-dusting.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a small plane dusting crops with powder, then imagine someone 'dusting' a crowded room with an unpleasant 'cloud' as they walk through.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PERSON IS AN AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT / PUBLIC SPACE IS A FIELD / BODILY GAS IS PESTICIDE OR FERTILIZER.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'to crop-dust' MOST likely to be used literally?