hopper

A "hopper" can be a thing that hops or jumps, such as an insect. More often, it means a container, usually wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, that holds loose material and feeds it into a machine. You might see one filled with grain, coal, plastic pellets, or popcorn. The word is also used in "hopper car," a railroad car made to carry bulk material like coal or grain.

The shared idea is movement: something jumps, or material moves down and out in a steady way.

The word "hopper" has a few main meanings, and they are linked by the idea of movement. In the most literal sense, it can mean something that hops or jumps, especially a small creature such as an insect. This sense is less common on its own, but it is easy to understand from the verb "hop."

The most common meaning is a container that holds loose material and lets it flow out from the bottom. A hopper is often wide at the top and narrow below, so gravity can feed the contents into a machine or another part of a system. You can find hoppers in farms, factories, and food equipment. Grain, sand, coal, plastic pellets, seeds, and popcorn may all be stored or fed through one.

The word also appears in transportation. A "hopper car" is a type of railroad car built to carry bulk materials and unload them efficiently. In this use, the name comes from the same basic design idea: the load sits in a shaped container and is released downward.

So, whether it refers to a jumping creature, a feed container, or a railcar for bulk goods, "hopper" usually suggests either jumping movement or material moving downward in a controlled flow.