mowing

[ moh-ing ]

/ ˈmoʊ ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mowing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of leveling or cutting down grass, grain, etc., with a mowing machine or scythe.

the quantity of grass, grain, etc., cut in a specified period.

RELATED WORDS

trim, shear, crop, clip, scythe, sickle

Nearby words

mowburnt, mowdie, mowe, mower, mower deck, mowing, mowing machine, mowlam, mown, mowrah, mowrah fat

Origin of mowing

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at mow¹, -ing¹

Definition for mowing (2 of 5)

mow

[ moh ]

/ moʊ /

verb (used with object), mowed, mowed or mown, mow·ing.

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), mowed, mowed or mown, mow·ing.

to cut down grass, grain, etc.

Verb Phrases

mow down,

to destroy or kill indiscriminately or in great numbers, as troops in battle.
to defeat, overwhelm, or overcome: The team mowed down its first four opponents.
to knock down.

Origin of mow

before 900; Middle English mowen, Old English māwan; cognate with German mähen

Definition for mowing (3 of 5)

mowe

[ mou, moh ]

/ maʊ, moʊ /

noun, verb (used without object), mowed, mow·ing. Archaic.

mow³.

Definition for mowing (4 of 5)

mow

[ mou ]

/ maʊ /

noun

the place in a barn where hay, sheaves of grain, etc., are stored.

a heap or pile of hay or of sheaves of grain in a barn.

verb (used with object)

Chiefly Northern and North Midland U.S. to store (hay) in a barn.

Origin of mow

before 900; Middle English mow(e), Old English mūwa, mūha, mūga; cognate with Old Norse mūgi swath

Definition for mowing (5 of 5)

mow

or mowe

[ mou, moh ]

/ maʊ, moʊ /

Archaic.

noun

a wry or derisive grimace.

verb (used without object)

to make mows, mouths, or grimaces.

Origin of mow

1275–1325; Middle English mowe < Middle French moue lip, pout, Old French moe < Frankish; akin to Middle Dutch mouwe protruded lip

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mowing

Political ads showing Harry Reid on rider mower, mowing the Mall?
PJ’s Political Forecast: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatheads|P. J. O’Rourke|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She often worked multiple jobs at a time, including tutoring, carpentry, mowing highways, waiting tables, and clerking.
From Hero to Homeless: Tara Dixon’s Story|Paula Broadwell|July 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
History is likely to dispense with the euphemism of "mowing the lawn" and call this what it is: perpetual war.
What Gaza Means For Iran|Ali Gharib|November 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He opens his last essay, “Mowing,” with: “Sometimes everything seems simple.”
Nicholson Baker, Katie Kitamura, and This Week’s Hot Reads: July 30, 2012|Jimmy So|July 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST

In it the sexton kept a scythe, a mowing machine, some cans and a bier, a four-wheeled vehicle with rubber tyres.
The Smuggler's Cave|George A. Birmingham
Great landslides and windfalls cleave their way from summit to sea, mowing down the forests in their path.
Alaska|Ella Higginson
No horse rakes, no mowing machines or hay tedders or loading or pitching devices then.
My Boyhood|John Burroughs
The turf in my mowing went all brown and dead suddenly in spite of frequent rains.
The Face of the Fields|Dallas Lore Sharp
When you're mowing in a field by a school-house, you must look out for the children asleep in the grass.
The Weavers, Complete|Gilbert Parker

British Dictionary definitions for mowing (1 of 3)

mow

/ (məʊ) /

verb mows, mowing, mowed, mowed or mown

to cut down (grass, crops, etc) with a hand implement or machine

(tr) to cut the growing vegetation of (a field, lawn, etc)

Derived Forms

mower, noun

Word Origin for mow

Old English māwan; related to Old High German māen, Middle Dutch maeyen to mow, Latin metere to reap, Welsh medi

British Dictionary definitions for mowing (2 of 3)

mow

/ (maʊ) /

noun

the part of a barn where hay, straw, etc, is stored

the hay, straw, etc, stored

Word Origin for mow

Old English mūwa; compare Old Norse mūgr heap, Greek mukōn

British Dictionary definitions for mowing (3 of 3)

mow

/ (maʊ) /

noun, verb

an archaic word for grimace

Word Origin for mow

C14: from Old French moe a pout, or Middle Dutch mouwe

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