crop duster

[ krop duhs-ter ]

noun

1. a pilot employed in crop-dusting from an airplane:

   In 1942, he went from being a crop duster in Kansas to being a fighter pilot in the Pacific.

2. an airplane used in crop-dusting:

   I made my first solo flight in that old crop duster.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crop duster¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Hefner’s wife and children said he began as a crop duster and had an aviation career that spanned more than 40 years.

From Seattle Times

Mariya Akilina, from the 46th Guards, flew in the medical services and as a crop duster in civil aviation for twenty years after the war; Nadya Popova and Klava Fomicheva worked as flight instructors.

From Literature

Hankey even hired a crop duster to fly over half of his 30 acres to test whether the plane would move more pollen around in the air and improve fertilization.

From Reuters

Pentagon officials say that — like the workhorse crop duster — the fixed-wing Sky Warden is designed to be versatile, durable and relatively inexpensive.

From Washington Times

At age 7, his father paid for him to take a 15-minute flight on a crop duster.

From Washington Post