mow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cut down (grass, grain, etc.) with a scythe or a machine.
-
to cut grass, grain, etc., from.
to mow the lawn.
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
noun
-
a heap or pile of hay or of sheaves of grain in a barn.
-
the place in a barn where hay, sheaves of grain, etc., are stored.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to cut down (grass, crops, etc) with a hand implement or machine
-
(tr) to cut the growing vegetation of (a field, lawn, etc)
noun
-
the part of a barn where hay, straw, etc, is stored
-
the hay, straw, etc, stored
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mow1
First recorded before 900; Middle English mowen, mouwen “to stack hay or grain,” Old English māwan “to mow;” cognate with Old Frisian mīa, German mähen
Origin of mow2
First recorded before 900; Middle English mow(e), mou, moghe, Old English mūga, mūha, mūwa “a heap or stack of grain”; cognate with Old Norse mūgi “swath”
Origin of mow3
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English moue, mouwe, mouhe, from Middle French moue “lip, pout,” Old French möe, from Frankish; akin to Middle Dutch mouwe “protruding lip”
Explanation
When you clip grass or other plants, you mow it. If you realize your front lawn is taller than your dog, it might be time to mow it. People with grassy lawns usually mow them throughout the growing season, keeping them neatly trimmed and green. Farmers mow some food crops and hay as well, when they're ready to be harvested, although they use different tools to do it, including a curved blade called a scythe. An old-fashioned meaning of mow is "a stack of hay," or "a place where hay is stored."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
By then, Kent had already earned the trust of neighbors who hired him to mow their lawns or babysit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Humorist Will Rogers famously joked to President Calvin Coolidge: "If that was my lake, I'd mow it."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026
"But if there isn't this conversation and they are going to continue to mow down these efforts, it's really demoralising."
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
In exchange, "they don't have to mow as often", to ensure the panels function properly, but also, and more importantly, to comply with bushfire prevention regulations.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
The gardeners began to mow the grass again.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
They mowed it, raked it and planted herbs and wildflowers, a London tribunal heard.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026
Adjessom was a student at Davidson High School, and loved ones describe him as a good-natured and generous teen who mowed his neighbors’ lawns on the weekends.
From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2025
They have mowed down the Cincinnati Reds, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brewers with ruthless efficiency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Roki Sasaki mowed down the Reds in order in the ninth inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2025
In 1950, nearly three in five black women in Montgomery, Alabama’s capital city, worked as maids for white families, and almost three-quarters of employed black men mowed lawns and did other kinds of unskilled labor.
From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
Touch some grass: From the archives: Ben Mathis-Lilley examines the pleasures and benefits of getting out and mowing the lawn.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
But a trendy personal-finance axiom is that there are three levels of wealth: mowing your own lawn, paying someone else to do it, then…mowing your own lawn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
For the tourists' benefit, Vlkolinec puts on traditional craft demonstrations, from sewing folk costumes and gingerbread decorating to mowing and haymaking.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
"A lot of painting, cleaning, mowing and gardening. Every day is different," said Llwyd.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
With an allowance of fifteen dollars a month for mowing the lawn every week.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
So if it’s a grass buffer, it must be mown and kept to a certain standard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
A Scottish cycling charity is backing calls for more responsible use of e-bikes after a cyclist claimed he was mown down by a food delivery driver.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2023
A bunker is to the right, but it’s otherwise closely mown turf that allows for options on a recovery shot.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 10, 2023
On the par-5 12th, he smashed his drive 376 yards and rolled in a 30-foot putt from off the green on the tightly mown turf.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 22, 2022
The gallop turned out to be a good forty yards wide, mown to less than six inches.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
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