Hopper - Definition and Overview

The word hopper has these meanings:-

• A wide bin-like entry to feed large bulks of solid matter into a machine. It is open above, and tapers, being thinner at the bottom where it feeds into the mechanism.
• In biology, the immature form or nymph of a locust. Large groups of these nymphs are called hopper bands.
• In politics, in the United States House of Representatives, the Hopper is the box which sits on the House Clerk's desk, into which a bill or resolution is dropped for introduction.
• In agriculture, a hopper on a combine is a tank or bin where the harvested grain is temporarily stored until it is unloaded to a truck or grain cart.
• A type of goods railway wagon for carrying bulk solids.
• In art Edward Hopper was an American painter, best remembered for his eerily realistic depictions of solitude in contemporary American life.
• In Sri Lankan cuisine: a foodstuff, used most frequently for breakfast:-
  • The string hopper is rice noodles curled into flat spirals. It is served for breakfast with a thin fish or chicken curry, containing only one or two modest pieces of meat, a dahl (lentil) dish, and a spicy sambol or fresh chutney. String hoppers are made from steamed rice flour made into a dough with water and a little salt, and forced through a mould similar to those used for pasta to make the strings. They are cooked by steaming. These hoppers can be bought ready-made.
  • Plain hoppers are bowl-shaped thin rice flour pancakes. They derive their shape from the small wok in which they are cooked. They are fairly bland, and always served with a spicy accompliment. These hoppers are made from a batter using rice, yeast, salt and a little sugar. After the mixture has stood for a couple of hours, it can be fried in the wok with a little oil.
  • Egg hoppers are the same as plain hoppers, but an egg is broken into the pancake as it cooks.