What does strop mean?
A strop is a strip of leather or similar material used to maintain or restore the edge of a razor. In modern practice, it is most often discussed in connection with traditional shaving and barbering, although the method remains a practical alternative to sharpening a blade on a stone. To strop a razor, the user repeatedly draws the blade along the strop, typically in one direction, helping to smooth and realign its cutting edge. The word can also denote the act of performing this process. Although largely familiar from older descriptions of shaving, it is still the precise term for this particular tool and technique. It should not be confused with strap, a broader word for any narrow band or strip, or with the informal adjective stroppy, meaning irritable.
A strip of leather or similar material on which a razor is drawn to sharpen it.
"He kept his razor and a leather strop on the bathroom shelf."
Chiefly used in traditional shaving and barbering; also occurs in specialized toolmaking contexts.
To sharpen a razor by drawing it repeatedly along a strop.
"The barber stropped the razor before beginning the shave."
Uncommon in everyday speech but standard in descriptions of traditional razor sharpening.
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"The workshop had several leather strops for different types of razors."
A razor strop preserves a keen edge without the heat or metal removal involved in grinding the blade on a stone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does strop come from?
The word strop comes from an older English noun referring to a razor-sharpening strip, and its verb meaning developed from that tool-based sense. The word is historically associated with shaving and has remained in use in specialist and traditional contexts. Its vocabulary relatives include stropper, meaning a person or device that strops a razor, and the gerund form stropping.
Related word forms
How strop is actually used
The noun is now chiefly associated with traditional razor sharpening and may sound old-fashioned or specialist in modern usage. The verb is likewise uncommon but remains understandable in contexts involving barbering, shaving, or traditional tools.
Easily confused with strop
A strop is specifically a tool for sharpening a razor, whereas a strap is a general band or strip of material.
Stroppy is an informal British adjective meaning irritable or bad-tempered; strop itself refers to a razor-sharpening tool or the act of sharpening a razor.