reaper, early farm machine drawn by draft animals or tractor and used to harvest grain. Its historical predecessors were the sickle and the cradle scythe, which are still used in some parts of the world. The earliest known reaper using animal power was described by Pliny the Elder as used in Gaul. It was pushed by an ox and consisted of a box on two wheels with a comb projecting from the front of the box. The heads of the grain were torn off by the comb and fell into the box. Modern attempts to make reaping machines began in England, where the first patent was issued (1799). The first reaper to win general acceptance was made by American inventor Cyrus McCormick McCormick, Cyrus Hall, 1809–84, inventor of the reaper, b. Rockbridge co., Va. His father, Robert McCormick (1780–1846), had worked intermittently for over 20 years at his blacksmith shop on a reaping machine, but had given it up before Cyrus, his eldest
..... Click the link for more information. in 1831. The grain cut by this reaper fell on a platform, from which it was raked by a person walking beside the machine. A number of improved reapers were developed later. The combine combine , agricultural machine that performs both harvesting and threshing operations. Although it was not widely used until the 1930s, the combine was in existence as early as 1830.
..... Click the link for more information. , which threshes the grain as it is reaped, has virtually replaced the reaper, although a self-raking type is still in limited use. The mower mower, farm machine used for cutting grasses and other hay crops. Mowers, drawn by or attached to tractors, or self-propelled, have superseded scythes. The mower is essentially an adaptation of the much earlier reaper. The first commercial mower was patented in 1847.
..... Click the link for more information. , used for cutting hay, was developed from the reaper in the 19th cent.

Bibliography

See C. McCormick, The Century of the Reaper (1931, repr. 1971).

reaper

Any farm machine that cuts grain (cereal). Early reapers simply cut the crop and dropped it unbound. Modern machines include harvesters, combines (see combine harvester), and binders, which also perform other harvesting operations. See also Cyrus H. McCormick.

reaper

the grim reaper death

reaper - A prowler that GFRs files. A file removed in this way is said to have been "reaped".

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	Along one side of the field the whole wain went, the arms of the mechanical reaper revolving slowly, till it passed down the hill quite out of sight. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - A Pure Woman by Hardy, Thomas View in context He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knive, lopping the canes right and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us. Typee by Melville, Herman View in context The reaper stops in his work, and stands with folded arms, looking at the vehicle as it whirls past; and the rough cart- horses bestow a sleepy glance upon the smart coach team, which says as plainly as a horse's glance can, 'It's all very fine to look at, but slow going, over a heavy field, is better than warm work like that, upon a dusty road, after all. The Posthumous Papers Of The Pickwick Club by Dickens, Charles View in context	reality principle reality view realizability realization RealJukebox Realm RealMagic RealMedia RealNetworks RealOne RealPC RealPlayer realpolitik Realschule Realschule Education Realtime Disk Operating System RealVideo ream reamed extrusion ingot Reamer Reaming reaming bit reaming iron Reanimation Reanimatology reaper reapportionment Rear Admiral rear arch rear area Rear Axle rear girt rear light Rear Projection Rear Projection, Electronic rear response Rear Services of the Armed Forces rear sight rear vault rear yard rear-facing camera rear-projection rear-projection TV rear-view mirror Rear. 1 Reardon, Edwin rearming rearrangement reaction Rearrangement, Molecular reason reason piece	reap reap reap a harvest of reap from reap hook reap profits reap rewards reap the benefit of reap the fruits reap the fruits reap the harvest reap the harvest reap the harvest of Reap the Whirlwind Reap the Whirlwind Reap the Whirlwind Reap the Whirlwind reap what sow REAPA REAPDOR reaped reaped reaped reaped the fruits reaped the fruits reaped the harvest reaped the harvest reaped the whirlwind reaped the whirlwind reaped the whirlwind reaper reaper binder Reaper process reapers reapers reapers Reapers of the Night Reapers of Time Reapfield Training and Management Consultant REAPI reaping reaping reaping reaping hook Reaping machine Reaping machine reaping the fruits reaping the fruits reaping the harvest reaping the harvest reaping the whirlwind reaping the whirlwind reaping the whirlwind Reaping-hook Reaping-hook Reaping-hook Reaping-hook REAPP Reapparel reappear reappear

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

Along one side of the field the whole wain went, the arms of the mechanical reaper revolving slowly, till it passed down the hill quite out of sight.

Tess of the d'Urbervilles - A Pure Woman by Hardy, Thomas View in context

He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knive, lopping the canes right and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us.

Typee by Melville, Herman View in context

The reaper stops in his work, and stands with folded arms, looking at the vehicle as it whirls past; and the rough cart- horses bestow a sleepy glance upon the smart coach team, which says as plainly as a horse's glance can, 'It's all very fine to look at, but slow going, over a heavy field, is better than warm work like that, upon a dusty road, after all.

The Posthumous Papers Of The Pickwick Club by Dickens, Charles View in context

reaper playV2('en/US/sj/sjshdsdgsgdosyh7');playV2('en/UK/sj/sjshdsdgsgdosyh7')

Bibliography

reaper

reaper