plough

American  

[plou] / plaʊ /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. plow.

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plough ¹ British  

/ plaʊ /

noun

1. an agricultural implement with sharp blades, attached to a horse, tractor, etc, for cutting or turning over the earth

2. any of various similar implements, such as a device for clearing snow

3. a plane with a narrow blade for cutting grooves in wood

4. (in agriculture) ploughed land

5. to begin or undertake a task

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verb

1. to till (the soil) with a plough

2. to make (furrows or grooves) in (something) with or as if with a plough

3. to move (through something) in the manner of a plough

   the ship ploughed the water

4. to work at slowly or perseveringly

5. (intr; foll by into or through) (of a vehicle) to run uncontrollably into something in its path

   the plane ploughed into the cottage roof

6. (tr; foll by in, up, under, etc) to turn over (a growing crop, manure, etc) into the earth with a plough

7. slang (intr) to fail an examination

Plough ² British  

/ plaʊ /

noun

1. Usual US name: the Big Dipper.  Also known as: Charles's Wain.  the group of the seven brightest stars in the constellation Ursa Major

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Other Word Forms

• plougher noun
• unploughed adjective

Etymology

Origin of plough

Old English plōg plough land; related to Old Norse plogr, Old High German pfluoc

Example Sentences

The EU last year also launched a raft of initiatives that it says could see its members plough an additional 800 billion euros into defence.

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

But, despite the bloodbath of recent weeks, this is no time to lose confidence, he might think; he must plough on with an iron fist.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Foxconn has seen profits soar as it shifts focus from low-margin iPhone assembly to artificial intelligence servers that are now in huge demand as firms plough hundreds of billions of dollars into the technology.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

It soon rendered fields impossible to plough, as lines of the goblet-shaped bushes, many of them three feet across, formed impenetrable natural fences in the paths of tractors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

He tilted it in the failing light, admiring the zed- like g, the curly b, and the curved t, like the blade of a plough.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White