furrow

[ fur-oh, fuhr-oh ]

/ ˈfɜr oʊ, ˈfʌr oʊ /

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See synonyms for: furrow / furrowed / furrowing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a narrow groove made in the ground, especially by a plow.

a narrow groovelike or trenchlike depression in any surface: the furrows of a wrinkled face.

verb (used with object)

to make a furrow or furrows in.

to make wrinkles in (the face): to furrow one's brow.

verb (used without object)

to become furrowed.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of furrow

before 900; Middle English forwe, furgh,Old English furh; cognate with Old Frisian furch,Old High German fur(u)h (German Furche), Latin porca ridge between furrows

OTHER WORDS FROM furrow

fur·row·er, nounfur·row·less, adjectivefur·row·like, adjectivefur·row·y, adjective

un·fur·rowed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use furrow in a sentence

The robot straddled a planted bed three rows wide with its wheels in adjacent furrows.
How technology might finally start telling farmers things they didn’t already know|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Periodically, Alcántar stopped the machine and kneeled in the furrow, bending to examine a “kill”—spots where the robot’s array of cameras and blades had gone ever so slightly out of alignment and uprooted the seedling itself.
How technology might finally start telling farmers things they didn’t already know|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It forces us, line by surprising line, to abandon the furrows of our ordinary perspective.
I didn’t think I understood modern poetry. The less I tried to get it, the more I came to love it.|Ron Charles|December 4, 2020|Washington Post
Cameras panning to American fans showed dispirited faces, furrowed brows.
Bring It On! Team USA Progresses to Round 2|Tunku Varadarajan|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

As the sun was setting, we made our way back, along a highway furrowed by hippos during their nocturnal forages.
Walking With Wildebeests: Exploring the Serengeti on Foot|Joanna Eede|July 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the passenger seat, there's a man, buttoned-down shirt and furrowed brow.
The Perils of Driving in India: One Man’s Quest for a Driver’s License|Dilip D’Souza|October 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Ryan prefers the aw-shucks understatement of an earnestly furrowed brow.
Double the Pomade: The Aggressively Groomed Style Of Romney And Ryan|Robin Givhan|August 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He remained silent for a second or two as he just furrowed his brows and studied the photo.
My Father’s War Pictures, and Mine|Colby Buzzell|April 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Old Holmes furrowed his brow and closed one eye, seeking with the other the inspiration of the sky.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
What terrible plan bent the pale forehead, already sallow with sleepless nights, and furrowed by thinking?
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
Dangerfield was evidently in one of his worst moods, with furrowed lower face and brooding, far-distant glance.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
His gray hair was so accurately combed and flattened over his yellow pate that it made it look like a furrowed field.
At the Sign of the Cat and Racket|Honore de Balzac
He saw the furrowed pain on her face and the torment in her eyes, and divined the day of suffering through which she had passed.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for furrow

furrow

/ (ˈfʌrəʊ) /

noun

a long narrow trench made in the ground by a plough or a trench resembling this

any long deep groove, esp a deep wrinkle on the forehead

verb

to develop or cause to develop furrows or wrinkles

to make a furrow or furrows in (land)

Derived forms of furrow

furrower, nounfurrowless, adjectivefurrow-like or furrowy, adjective

Word Origin for furrow

Old English furh; related to Old Frisian furch, Old Norse for, Old High German furuh furrow, Latin porca ridge between furrows

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

furrow

Origin of furrow

OTHER WORDS FROM furrow

Words related to furrow

How to use furrow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for furrow

Derived forms of furrow

Word Origin for furrow