plow

American  

[plou] / plaʊ /

especially British, plough

noun

1. an agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.

2. any of various implements resembling or suggesting this, as a kind of plane for cutting grooves or a contrivance for clearing away snow from a road or track.

3. Type Founding. (formerly) an instrument for cutting the groove in the foot of type.

4. Bookbinding. a device for trimming the edges of the leaves by hand.

5. (initial capital letter)

   1. the constellation Ursa Major.

   2. the Big Dipper.

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verb (used with object)

plows, present (3rd person singular) plowed, past participle, past plowing present participle

1. to turn up (soil) with a plow.

2. to make (a furrow) with a plow.

3. to tear up, cut into, or make a furrow, groove, etc. in (a surface) with or as if with a plow (often followed byup ).

   The tractor plowed up an acre of trees.

4. to clear by the use of a plow, especially a snowplow (sometimes followed byout ).

   The city's work crews were busily plowing the streets after the blizzard.

5. to invest, as capital (often followed byinto ).

   to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.

6. to reinvest or reutilize (usually followed byback ).

   to plow profits back into new plants and equipment.

7. (of a ship, boat, animal, etc.)

   1. to cleave the surface of (the water).

      beavers plowing the pond.

   2. to make (a way) or follow (a course) in this manner.

      The yacht plowed an easterly course through the choppy Atlantic.

8. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)

plows, present (3rd person singular) plowed, past participle, past plowing present participle

1. to till the soil or work with a plow.

2. to take plowing in a specified way.

   land that plows easily.

3. to move forcefully through something in the manner of a plow (often followed by through, into, along, etc.).

   The cop plowed through the crowd, chasing after the thief. The car plowed into our house.

4. to proceed in a slow, laborious, and steady manner (often followed bythrough ).

   The researcher plowed through a pile of reports.

5. to move through water by cleaving the surface.

   a ship plowing through a turbulent sea.

verb phrase

1. plow under

   1. to bury under soil by plowing.

   2. to cause to disappear; force out of existence; overwhelm.

      Many mom-and-pop groceries have been plowed under by the big chain stores.

plow British  

/ plaʊ /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of plough

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• well-plowed
  adjective
• plowable
  adjective
• subplow
  noun
• overplow
  verb
• plower
  noun
• unplowed
  adjective
• subplow
  verb
• replow
  verb (used with object)
• unplowable
  adjective
• plowability
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has plowed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have plowed
  perfect
• are plowing
  progressive
• has been plowing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• plows
  singular 3rd person
• is plowing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am plowing
  progressive 1st person singular
• plowing
  participle
• have been plowing
  perfect progressive

Past

• had plowed
  perfect
• had been plowing
  perfect progressive
• were plowing
  progressive plural
• was plowing
  progressive singular
• plowed
  participle
• plowed
  simple

Future

• will plow
  simple
• will have plowed
  perfect
• will be plowing
  progressive
• will have been plowing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of plow

before 1100; Middle English plouh, plugh ( e ), plough ( e ), Old English plōh; cognate with German Pflug plow

Explanation

A plow is a large tool used for farming. A farmer drives or pulls a plow across a field to prepare it for planting. The large blades of a plow break up the earth, cutting and turning it so it's loose and ready to be planted with seeds. When you operate a plow, you can say that you plow. Boats can plow through water, too — in fact, anything that moves forcibly forward also plows: a car plows through traffic, and figuratively, a student plows through her homework.

Example Sentences

Son shed vast holdings of T-Mobile, Alibaba and even Nvidia as he sought to plow money into OpenAI, data centers and robotics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The five largest hyperscalers are set to plow more than $750 billion into their AI investment projects this year, with an $800 billion tally forecast for 2027.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

The five largest hyperscalers are set to plow more than $750 billion into their AI investment projects this year.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

What one strategist argues, therefore, is that investors should plow capital into the energy stocks providing the raw materials that technology stocks desperately require to grow.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

He had unhitched her from the plow and she still had on her collar, the traces draped over her neck.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• bulldoze
• cultivate
• rake
• reap
• shove
• smash