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:
Every week he would mow the yards after he lost his job and took pride in landscaping the grass, but that was just the surface of what he meant to us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Local farmer Jacko Thomas rents the field the bus crashed into, and said he counted himself "lucky" as he was due to mow there that day.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
"I just felt bad having to mow in certain areas," Morse said.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 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
And no one was ill, and everyone was pleased, except those who had to mow the grass.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
The scent of freshly mowed grass and the sight of rolling fairways will always set a golfer’s heart aflutter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Volunteers who spent hours planting 30,000 bulbs in a Bristol park say they were left in "disbelief" after council workers mowed over them just days later.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
French taxes paid for the powerful artillery that breached English-held fortresses and mowed down England’s last expeditionary force, at Castillon, Gascony, in July 1453.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Its endowment was virtually nonexistent and money was so tight a former director mowed the lawn himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025
I follow his gaze, taking in the freshly mowed fields and soccer goals and boys.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Did he say anything truly new at this fundraiser, like that he thinks James Talarico is a pretty good guy or that he enjoys wearing dresses when mowing the lawn?
From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2026
In case you’ve forgotten, mowing the lawn was central to Boehner’s everyman image when he was in office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"I counsel people to wear hearing protection when they're mowing grass instead of listening to music through earbuds," Price said.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026
Day-to-day upkeep like mowing the lawn, shoveling snow and even basic housekeeping can become burdensome or unsafe as physical limitations increase.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026
Mom, Dad, you know how I’ve been mowing lawns every day?
From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen
Thousands of wild grasses and flowers were planted along the edges of the village green, contrasting with the carefully mown grass in the middle.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
The green is large and has a large expanse of closely mown turf to the left.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 10, 2023
Opportunities for subtlety, though few and far between, are mown down with theatrical oomph.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
Over the years, he recorded the date of flowering from the mown field as well as a similar grass field that was not mown.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
The air was thick and moist, freshly mown grass smelling nice.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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