cash crop

noun

: a readily salable crop (such as cotton or tobacco) produced or gathered primarily for market

Examples of cash crop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Take, for instance, the country’s main cash crop, tobacco. Ish Mafundikwa, Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2025 In colonial and post-colonial regimes, they were forced to plant cash crops and were heavily taxed. Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 It’s known as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, a reference to the area’s biggest cash crop. Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025 Image The Philipps are part of a resurgence of interest in growing saffron among American small farmers in search of a cash crop, and among cooks and backyard gardeners seeking the thrill of growing the spice. Jane Black, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cash crop

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cash crop was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Cash crop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash%20crop. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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