harvest
HAH-vihst
Harvest (noun) means the gathering in of a ripe crop, or the crop itself once gathered. Example: “The whole village helped bring in the harvest of potatoes before the frost.”
noun
1
The gathering in of a ripe crop, or the crop itself once gathered.
"The whole village helped bring in the harvest of potatoes before the frost."
"Farmers work long hours during the harvest to bring the wheat in before the rain."
"This year's apple harvest was the biggest in a decade."
2
The season when crops are gathered, roughly early autumn.
"At harvest, the days grow shorter and the fields turn golden."
"Schools used to close at harvest so children could help on farms."
"The village holds a festival every year at harvest."
3
The reward or result that comes from an effort or action.
"Her kindness to neighbours brought a harvest of good friendships."
"The team enjoyed the harvest of its hard training in the final match."
"Years of research finally produced a harvest of useful data."
verb
1
To gather a ripe crop, or to collect something else useful (data, organs, resources) in a similar organized way.
"Farmers harvest the corn once the stalks turn dry and golden."
"They harvest the grapes by hand to avoid bruising them."
"The app quietly harvests users' contact lists without asking."
How to use harvest
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBringing in a ripe crop — or, more loosely, gathering any valuable result of work.
Common mistake
In modern tech and data contexts "harvest" often carries a slightly negative, extractive tone (e.g. "harvesting personal data"), unlike its neutral farming sense.
Common pairings
harvest the crop
bumper harvest
harvest data
organ harvest
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Word forms
- Plural
- harvests
- Third person singular
- harvests
- Past tense
- harvested
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The whole village helped bring in the _____ of potatoes before the frost.
Etymology
From Old English hærfest, meaning "autumn" or "harvest-time" — the word originally named the season itself before it came to mean the act of reaping.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “harvest” mean?
The word “harvest” means the gathering in of a ripe crop, or the crop itself once gathered. In plain terms, bringing in a ripe crop — or, more loosely, gathering any valuable result of work.
How do you pronounce “harvest”?
“Harvest” is pronounced HAH-vihst (/ˈhɑɹ.vəst/ in IPA).
How do you use “harvest” in a sentence?
Here is “harvest” used in a sentence: “Farmers work long hours during the harvest to bring the wheat in before the rain.”
What part of speech is “harvest”?
Depending on how it is used, “harvest” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “harvest” come from?
The word “harvest” comes from Old English. From Old English hærfest, meaning "autumn" or "harvest-time" — the word originally named the season itself before it came to mean the act of reaping.
Is “harvest” a common word?
“Harvest” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “harvest” have?
“Harvest” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the gathering in of a ripe crop, or the crop itself once gathered.
What is the difference between harvest and crop?
A crop is the plants grown for food or another use, while the harvest is the act of gathering that crop once it is ripe — and, by extension, the gathered produce itself. You grow a crop all season, but you bring in the harvest at the end of it.
What is the difference between harvest and reap?
Both verbs mean to gather a ripe crop, but "reap" is older and more literary, surviving mainly in figurative phrases such as "reap the rewards" and "you reap what you sow." "Harvest" is the standard everyday word for gathering crops, and it also covers collecting things like data or organs in an organized way.
When is harvest season?
Harvest is traditionally the season when ripe crops are gathered, falling roughly in early autumn in temperate climates. The exact timing varies by crop and region, because each plant is harvested when it reaches ripeness rather than on a fixed date.
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