hopper
UK: ˈhɒp.ə | US: ˈhɑː.pɚ
n. a container with a narrow opening at the bottom, used for pouring granular materials (e.g., grain, coal)
n. a person or animal that hops
n. (informal) a type of train car or vehicle used for transporting bulk materials
The word "hopper" originates from the verb "hop" (Old English hoppian, meaning "to leap or spring"), combined with the agentive suffix "-er." Initially, it referred to creatures that hop (e.g., grasshoppers). By the 13th century, it evolved to describe mechanical or container-like objects with a "leaping" or funneling action, such as grain hoppers, where contents "hop" downward through gravity. The dual meaning reflects both literal movement (biological) and functional analogy (mechanical).
The farmer filled the hopper with corn to feed the chickens.
Grasshoppers are skilled hoppers, jumping great distances.
The factory uses a large hopper to distribute sand evenly.
She watched the rabbit, a natural hopper, dart across the field.
The coal hopper on the train was loaded efficiently.