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harvest

/ˈhɑː.vɪst/
IELTSAcademic
noun

the time when ripe crops are gathered from the fields. It can also mean the crops gathered at that time.

  • The rice harvest starts in October.
  • This year's harvest was excellent.
verb

to gather ripe crops, or to collect something in a careful way. People also use it for getting results, data, or praise from work.

  • Farmers harvest wheat in summer.
  • The team harvested useful data from the survey.

Adinary Nuance

Harvest is more specific than collect or gather. Use it for crops, food, or results from careful work, not for random objects. As a noun, it often means the season or the crop itself; as a verb, it means to bring in what is ready.

In other languages

Vietnamese
thu hoạch
Spanish
cosecha
Chinese
收获
Japanese
収穫
Korean
수확

Etymology

Harvest comes from Old English hærfest, meaning 'autumn' or 'time of gathering crops'. It has been used in English since early medieval times.

Common phrases

the harvest seasona good harvestharvest timeharvest festival

Synonyms

Related words

Frequently asked questions

Is harvest a noun or a verb?
It is both. It can mean the crop season, or the act of gathering crops.
Can I use harvest for data or results?
Yes. It often means to carefully collect useful things, like data, feedback, or praise.
Is harvest the same as collect?
Not exactly. Harvest is more specific and usually suggests crops or useful results.
Is harvest common in business or academic English?
Yes, especially in phrases like 'harvest data' or 'harvest insights'.