sow

¹ American  

[soh] / soʊ /

verb (used with object)

sowed, sown, sowed, sowing

1. to scatter (seed) over land, earth, etc., for growth; plant.

2. to plant seed for.

   to sow a crop.

3. to scatter seed over (land, earth, etc.) for the purpose of growth.

4. to implant, introduce, or promulgate; seek to propagate or extend; disseminate.

   to sow distrust or dissension.

   Synonyms:

   circulate, spread, propagate, inject

5. to strew or sprinkle with anything.

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verb (used without object)

sowed, sown, sowed, sowing

1. to sow seed, as for the production of a crop.

sow ² American  

[sou] / saʊ /

noun

1. an adult female swine.

2. the adult female of various other animals, as the bear.

3. Metallurgy.

   1. a large oblong mass of iron that has solidified in the common channel through which the molten metal flows to the smaller channels in which the pigs solidify.

   2. the common channel itself.

   3. a basin holding any of certain molten nonferrous metals to be cast.

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sow ¹ British  

/ saʊ /

noun

1. a female adult pig

2. the female of certain other animals, such as the mink

3. metallurgy

   1. the channels for leading molten metal to the moulds in casting pig iron

   2. iron that has solidified in these channels

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sow ² British  

/ səʊ /

verb

1. to scatter or place (seed, a crop, etc) in or on (a piece of ground, field, etc) so that it may grow

   to sow wheat

   to sow a strip of land

2. (tr) to implant or introduce

   to sow a doubt in someone's mind

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sow Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing sow

• can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

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Other Word Forms

• sowable adjective
• sower noun
• sowlike adjective
• unsowed adjective

Etymology

Origin of sow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sowen, Old English sāwan; cognate with Dutch zaaien, German säen, Old Norse sā, Gothic saian; akin to seed, Latin sēmen “seed”

Origin of sow²

First recorded before 900; Middle English soue, sou(we), Old English sugu, sū; cognate with German Sau, Old Norse sȳr, Latin sūs, Greek hûs, Tocharian B suwo; swine

Example Sentences

In addition to its effort to reap intelligence, the campaign could aim to sow uneasiness within a Chinese military that has been reeling from purges of its leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal

That has meant spreading false information and sowing doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines widely known to be safe, and upending the pediatric immunization schedule.

From Barron's

The 2023 leadership shake-up in China’s Rocket Force, followed by the removal of other high-level leaders, sowed confusion and instability in the overall space program.

From The Wall Street Journal

This time the divisions were sown by hate speech reforms introduced by the centre-left Labor government after the Bondi Beach attack.

From BBC

The gaffe underscores how lifelike AI visuals -- even those containing glaring errors -- are seeping into everyday discourse, sowing confusion during breaking news events and influencing political debate at the highest levels.

From Barron's

Related Words

• grow
• propagate
• scatter