# reaper

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹiːpɚ/ · frequency rank #19,677

## Definitions
1. One who reaps; a person employed to harvest crops from the fields by reaping.
2. A machine used to harvest crops.
3. Ellipsis of Grim Reaper.
4. A recluse spider (Loxosceles and Sicarius spp.).

## Etymology
From Middle English reper, repare, repere, *riper (the last, attested only in surnames Ryper, Riper, etc.), from Old English rīpere (“reaper”), equivalent to reap + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **rear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-rear)
- **refer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-refer)
- **repel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-repel)
- **roper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-roper)
- **render** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-render)
- **reopen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-reopen)
- **ripper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-ripper)
- **reared** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-reared)
- **Reiner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-reiner)
- **renter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-renter)
- **reefer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-reefer)
- **reappear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reaper-vs-reappear)
- **rape** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rape-vs-reaper)
- **reap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reap-vs-reaper)
- **racer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/racer-vs-reaper)
- **rarer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rarer-vs-reaper)
- **razer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/razer-vs-reaper)
- **Reade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reade-vs-reaper)
- **reader** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reader-vs-reaper)
- **rapper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rapper-vs-reaper)

## Common misspellings (8)
`eraper`, `raeper`, `reaepr`, `reaperr`, `reapper`, `reapre`, `repaer`, `rreaper`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/reaper