to detassel
1
9.4
To remove the tops of corn plants so they do not make pollen
- verb
- /dɪˈtæsəl/
- Specialized
:
desmochar
- Farmers hire workers to detassel corn in order to create hybrid seeds.
- detassel corn
Examples
-
During the summer, many teenagers earn money by detasseling corn in the fields.
-
Yes, teenagers in America do detassel corn, and they are paid reasonable wages for it, work under reasonable conditions, and are free to quit at any time.
Blog text (4) -
Pollen from a different strain of corn would fertilize the detasseled plant.
Academic text (1996) -
Other kids your age, they're bagging groceries, detasseling corn.
Fiction book (2001) -
She spent her afternoons detasseling corn to help her family with their farm.
Surface Forms
detassel infinitive
detasselled past
detasselled past participle
detasseling present participle
detassels third person singular
Morphology
Etymology
The verb detassel combines de- 'remove' with tassel 'the top part of a corn plant that looks like a small bunch of threads', so to detassel is to remove the tassels to control which plants pollinate.