plow

[ plou ]

/ plaʊ /

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See synonyms for: plow / plowed / plowable / plower on Thesaurus.com

noun

an agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.

any of various implements resembling or suggesting this, as a kind of plane for cutting grooves or a contrivance for clearing away snow from a road or track.

Type Founding. (formerly) an instrument for cutting the groove in the foot of type.

Bookbinding. a device for trimming the edges of the leaves by hand.

(initial capital letter)Astronomy.

the constellation Ursa Major.
the Big Dipper.

verb (used with object)

to turn up (soil) with a plow.

to make (a furrow) with a plow.

to tear up, cut into, or make a furrow, groove, etc. in (a surface) with or as if with a plow (often followed by up): The tractor plowed up an acre of trees.

to clear by the use of a plow, especially a snowplow (sometimes followed by out): The city's work crews were busily plowing the streets after the blizzard.

to invest, as capital (often followed by into): to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.

to reinvest or reutilize (usually followed by back): to plow profits back into new plants and equipment.

(of a ship, boat, animal, etc.)

to cleave the surface of (the water): beavers plowing the pond.
to make (a way) or follow (a course) in this manner: The yacht plowed an easterly course through the choppy Atlantic.

Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)

to till the soil or work with a plow.

to take plowing in a specified way: land that plows easily.

to move forcefully through something in the manner of a plow (often followed by through, into, along, etc.): The cop plowed through the crowd, chasing after the thief. The car plowed into our house.

to proceed in a slow, laborious, and steady manner (often followed by through): The researcher plowed through a pile of reports.

to move through water by cleaving the surface: a ship plowing through a turbulent sea.

Verb Phrases

plow under,

to bury under soil by plowing.
to cause to disappear; force out of existence; overwhelm: Many mom-and-pop groceries have been plowed under by the big chain stores.

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Also especially British, plough .

Origin of plow

before 1100; Middle English plouh, plugh(e), plough(e), Old English plōh; cognate with German Pflug plow

OTHER WORDS FROM plow

plow·a·ble, adjectiveplow·a·bil·i·ty, nounplower, nouno·ver·plow, verb

re·plow, verb (used with object), re·plowed, re·plow·ing.subplow, nounsub·plow, verbun·plow·a·ble, adjectiveun·plowed, adjectivewell-plowed, adjective

Words nearby plow

ploughshare, ploughstaff, plouk, Plovdiv, plover, plow, plowback, plowboy, plow into, plowman, Plowright

How to use plow in a sentence

The girl’s father had stepped in front of a city riding lawn mower that had a small plow attached after seeing her sledding toward it, police spokeswoman Andrea Escher said.
D.C. area’s biggest snowstorm in two years brings slick roads, but much-needed respite|Katherine Shaver, Emily Davies, Lauren Lumpkin|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
In the end the task force employed hundreds of dump trucks, front-end loaders, sanders, plows, rotaries, and flamethrowers to clear the way.
How a surprise snowstorm almost spoiled Kennedy’s inauguration 60 years ago|Kevin Ambrose, Jason Samenow|January 19, 2021|Washington Post
Snow pushers are essentially smaller, hand-powered versions of the industrial plow.
Best snow shovel: Clear your driveway fast|PopSci Commerce Team|January 19, 2021|Popular Science
Speaking of snow, a big storm could trap your vehicle in several feet of the stuff, and things can get even worse if a plow goes by and buries it further.
Gifts that every car owner should have|Rob Verger|December 18, 2020|Popular Science

You will also need a winch if you want to use a snow plow, which is nice to have during our extensive Alaskan winters.
Six ways to make your ATV even more rugged|By Tyler Freel/Outdoor Life|September 17, 2020|Popular Science
Think the Frogtown settlers rinsed their tonsils with something that was “too wet to plow and too thick to drink”?
Toledo: The Town Too Tough for Toxic Water|P. J. O’Rourke|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Speed-the-Plow is a particularly interesting choice for Lohan.
Lindsay Lohan May Star in a West End Play. Is She Crazy?|Kevin Fallon|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Times, carefully couching its words, said it spoke with Lohan about a “potential appearance” in Speed-the-Plow.
Lindsay Lohan May Star in a West End Play. Is She Crazy?|Kevin Fallon|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No matter: Christman and her conservative sisters remain unbowed and eager to plow ahead.
The 'RedState Women' Wooing Scheme|Michelle Cottle|April 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The horse has always been a tool for man, whether it was tied to a plow or pulling a carriage.
De Blasio Whipped by Horse Lobby|Josh Robin|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cincinnatus will not back to his plow, or, at the best, stands sullenly between his plow-handles arguing for a higher wage.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
He hired an engine to plow all his land that was not prepared, besides renting a little more, and also took a flier in wheat.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
They do not have to plow or dig, or perform any other cultivation than that of clearing the land where they are to plant.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
The mode of culture is to plow between the rows and hoe the plants carefully.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Scattergood had first encountered her when she came to his hardware store to buy a plow.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland

British Dictionary definitions for plow

plow

/ (plaʊ) /

noun, verb

the usual US spelling of plough

Derived forms of plow

plower, noun

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

plow

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

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Origin of plow

OTHER WORDS FROM plow

Words nearby plow

Words related to plow

How to use plow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for plow

noun, verb

Derived forms of plow