Word: Crop Failure
Definition:
"Crop failure" is a noun that means the situation when plants (like fruits, vegetables, or grains) do not grow well enough to be sold or eaten. This can happen for various reasons, such as bad weather, pests, or diseases.
Usage Instructions:
You can use "crop failure" when talking about farming, agriculture, or food production. It is often discussed in the context of its effects on farmers and food supply.
Example Sentence:
"The farmers faced a crop failure this year due to a severe drought, which meant they could not sell their produce."
Advanced Usage:
Crop failure can have significant economic impacts, affecting not only farmers but also the prices of food in markets. It can lead to food shortages and increase dependency on imported food.
Word Variants:
- Crop (noun): Refers to cultivated plants grown for food. - Failure (noun): Refers to the lack of success in doing something.
Different Meanings:
While "crop failure" specifically refers to agriculture, the word "failure" alone can refer to the lack of success in any context, such as a failed project or plan in business or personal endeavors.
Synonyms:
- Agricultural failure - Crop loss - Farming failure
Idioms/Phrases:
There aren’t specific idioms that use "crop failure," but you might hear related phrases like: - "Bite the dust" – to fail or come to an end. - "In the weeds" – to be overwhelmed with problems, similar to how a crop might fail due to excessive weeds.
Phrasal Verbs:
While there are no specific phrasal verbs directly related to "crop failure," you may encounter related terms like: - "Fall through" – to fail to happen or be completed (e.g., "The harvest fell through due to bad weather.")
In summary, "crop failure" is an important term in agriculture that describes when crops do not produce enough yield to be successful.