hop-picker: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2historical, technical (agriculture/brewing)
Quick answer
What does “hop-picker” mean?
A person whose job is to harvest hops (the flowers of the hop plant used in brewing beer).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person whose job is to harvest hops (the flowers of the hop plant used in brewing beer).
Historically, a seasonal agricultural worker, often from urban areas or traveling communities, employed during the annual hop harvest in regions like Kent, England. Can also refer to a mechanical device used for harvesting hops.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively British due to the historical and geographical association with UK hop-growing regions (e.g., Kent, Herefordshire, Worcestershire). In the US, the equivalent role existed but the specific term 'hop-picker' is far less common and not culturally entrenched; 'hop harvester' (person or machine) is more typical.
Connotations
In the UK, it evokes a specific socio-historical context of annual migrations from London's East End to the countryside, family labour, and a bygone era of agriculture. In the US, it lacks these cultural connotations and is a purely functional term.
Frequency
Very low frequency in modern English. Extremely rare in American English; occasionally found in British historical texts, local history, or discussions of traditional brewing.
Grammar
How to Use “hop-picker” in a Sentence
The [ADJ] hop-picker [VERB-past] ...[Number] hop-pickers [VERB-past] ...Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hop-picker” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The hop-picker communities lived in basic huts called 'hoppers' huts'.
- It was a traditional hop-picker holiday.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Found in historical, sociological, or agricultural studies discussing pre-mechanized farming and labour migration.
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used when discussing family history or local history in certain UK regions.
Technical
Used in agriculture and brewing history to distinguish manual harvesting from mechanical methods.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hop-picker”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hop-picker”
- Misspelling as 'hoppicker' (should be hyphenated or occasionally open: 'hop picker').
- Confusing with 'hop' as a verb (to jump).
- Using in a modern context without historical qualification.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. While both are agricultural pickers, a hop-picker specifically harvests hops, which are flowers used for flavouring beer, not a fruit. The term also carries unique historical and cultural connotations in Britain.
Manual hop-pickers are very rare in developed countries due to mechanisation. The term is now primarily historical or refers to the operators of mechanical hop-picking machines.
It's a compound noun formed from 'hop' and 'picker'. Hyphenation is common in English for compound nouns where the first element is a noun modifying the second, especially to prevent misreading (e.g., distinguishing a 'hop picker' from a 'hoppicker').
Yes, in modern agricultural contexts, 'hop-picker' or 'hop picking machine' can refer to the mechanical harvester that strips hops from the bine.
A person whose job is to harvest hops (the flowers of the hop plant used in brewing beer).
Hop-picker is usually historical, technical (agriculture/brewing) in register.
Hop-picker: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɒp ˌpɪk.ər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɑːp ˌpɪk.ɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of someone who PICKS HOPS for a living: a HOP-PICKER. Imagine a person in a hop garden, picking the cone-shaped flowers to be used in making beer.
Conceptual Metaphor
OCCUPATION AS IDENTITY (The harvest defines the worker).
Practice
Quiz
In which modern context is the term 'hop-picker' MOST likely to be encountered?