hops plural: the ripe dried female cone-like flower clusters of a north-temperate zone twining plant (Humulus lupulus) of the hemp family used especially to impart a bitter flavor to beer
2
plural hops: the perennial climbing bine from which hops are obtained that have 3- to 5-lobed leaves and inconspicuous flowers of which the pistillate ones are in scaly cone-like clusters
Verb (1)
a rabbit hopped across the frozen grass
the frog hopped back into the pond
the bus stopped, a lone passenger hopped on, and the driver continued on his way Noun (1)
back in those days taking someone to the school hop was a big deal
she made it across the rocky creek in two hops
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.
Verb
Ewers rolled out to the left, came up short and one-hopped a comeback to Tutu Atwell.—
Tyler M. Carmona,
Miami Herald,
30 July 2026 But, as Dinger was passing in front of the Comets dugout, Thomas hopped onto the field and right into the path of the scooter-ridin' mascot.—
Matt Reigle Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
29 July 2026
Noun
Brees showed off his impressive hops after the score by dunking the ball over the goal post.—
Larry Holder,
New York Times,
4 Aug. 2026 Those who are crowd-averse should take it all in from a distance at Battery Park or the Brooklyn Promenade, or hop on the free ferry to Staten Island to catch views of the Statue and the New York Harbor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hop
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English hoppen, from Old English hoppian
Noun (2)
Middle English hoppe, from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German hopfo hop
: a twining plant (Humulus lupulus) of the hemp family with 3-lobed or 5-lobed leaves and inconspicuous flowers of which the pistillate ones are in cone-like clusters
2
hops plural: the ripe dried female cone-like flower clusters of a hop plant used especially to impart a bitter flavor to beer and also in medicine as a tonic