Which statement describes reap in the sense of harvest?

• A. Cut (wheat, rye, etc.) with a scythe, sickle, or reaping machine
• B. Gather or take (a crop, harvest, etc.) by cutting
• C. Gain or obtain as the reward of one's actions
• D. To store or preserve for later use

Answer: (B)

Reap in the harvest sense means to gather mature crops from the field by cutting them. The statement that describes this idea best says to gather or take a crop by cutting, because harvesting encompasses both cutting the crop and collecting the yielded produce. Cutting alone is only part of the process; reaping as harvest implies bringing the crop in for use or storage. The figurative sense of reap as “to gain or obtain as the reward of one's actions” is a different meaning, and storing or preserving for later use is not about gathering the crop. So, gathering the crop by cutting captures the full sense of reaping during harvest.