sow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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sows,
present (3rd person singular)
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sowed,
past participle, past
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sown,
past participle
-
sowing
present participle
-
to scatter (seed) over land, earth, etc., for growth; plant.
-
to plant seed for.
to sow a crop.
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to scatter seed over (land, earth, etc.) for the purpose of growth.
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to implant, introduce, or promulgate; seek to propagate or extend; disseminate.
to sow distrust or dissension.
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to strew or sprinkle with anything.
verb (used without object)
-
sows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sowed,
past participle, past
-
sown,
past participle
-
sowing
present participle
noun
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sows
plural
-
an adult female swine.
-
the adult female of various other animals, as the bear.
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Metallurgy.
-
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.
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the common channel itself.
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a basin holding any of certain molten nonferrous metals to be cast.
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noun
-
a female adult pig
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the female of certain other animals, such as the mink
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metallurgy
-
the channels for leading molten metal to the moulds in casting pig iron
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iron that has solidified in these channels
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verb
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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
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(tr) to implant or introduce
to sow a doubt in someone's mind
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sowsimple
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sowssimple
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have sowedperfect
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have sownperfect
-
has sowedperfect
-
has sownperfect
-
am sowingprogressive
-
are sowingprogressive
-
is sowingprogressive
-
have been sowingperfect progressive
-
has been sowingperfect progressive
Past
-
sowedsimple
-
had sowedperfect
-
had sownperfect
-
was sowingprogressive
-
were sowingprogressive
-
had been sowingperfect progressive
Future
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; see swine
Explanation
When you plant seeds in the ground, you sow them. You can also sow things like doubts or ideas, simply by spreading them around. If your ideas (or your seeds) develop and grow, you've successfully sown them. The verb sow is pronounced completely differently from the noun sow, which means "a female pig." When you sow flower seeds, it rhymes with "go." When you admire an enormous, muddy sow in a pig pen, it rhymes with "cow." When two words are spelled the same but sound different, they're called heteronyms.
Vocabulary lists containing sow
"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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Dirty Words: The Language of Gardening
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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:
In March, they attended a workshop, learned how to sow the tiny seeds, and were given their own growing equipment, including pots, seed trays and soil.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Even headlines like “Can We Kill You For Your Organs, Please?” can inadvertently sow significant concern and mistrust among the public and lead to fewer registered donors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Well, God knows you reap what you sow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
“AI hype and exuberant financial markets” could sow the seeds of instability.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
She wove through the crowd, jabbing her sword into dragon-scale feet at every opportunity and yelling, ‘RUN! RUN AWAY!’ to sow confusion.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
The Scottish government says the total number of sows has reduced by about 15% since the start of the year and four producers have left the sector.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Wall Street loves an ugly portmanteau, or jamming together of two words in a way that sows confusion, followed closely by dislike.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
“He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
He sows chaos even when he clearly doesn’t mean the things he says.
From Slate ● Mar. 6, 2026
More than two dozen full-grown sows, plus the young pigs and the boar with the grey, bristling back.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The policy shift sowed chaos in federal courts, as thousands of immigrants began suing for bond hearings that had long been automatic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Monday's quake sowed panic in otherwise sleepy parts of Mindnao.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
The move sounds the death knell for the upstart that sowed chaos in professional golf by plowing billions into the sport and poaching A-list players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
The latest strikes have sowed panic and more psychological stress among the prison population.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Corn was sowed long before vines were planted.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Nearly half of the country's net sown farmland has no assured irrigation and depends largely on rainfall, making the timing and spread of the monsoon critical for millions of farmers.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Mr. Nayler develops these civilizational portrayals in a story skillfully sown with dramatic surprises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
But in about 1989, the seeds of a new Muffler Man era were sown.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
In the meantime, the legal seesawing has sown uncertainty over the pill that the US Food and Drug Administration approved more than a quarter-century ago.
From Barron's ● May 10, 2026
Along with the grain, it appears I have also sown strong seeds of friendship.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Overall, the complaint paints a picture of a system sowing confusion and unease for nurses, teachers and other borrowers, many of whom have been working in public-service jobs and paying their loans for years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
It’s a grim idea, that our hope is in a tool that discourages in-depth reading and a long-shot hypothetical strategy—both of which rely on technology known for sowing confusion.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ms. McTiernan seeds that plot expertly, sowing fresh intrigue with each character she introduces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The monsoon season continues until September, leaving time for rainfall to recover and farmers to make up some of the delayed sowing.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
It seems that this season of sowing is not simply about planting flax and wheat.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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