plow

especially British, plough

[plou]

noun

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

2. 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.

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

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

5. (initial capital letter)

   1. the constellation Ursa Major.

   2. the Big Dipper.

verb (used with object)

1. to turn up (soil) with a plow.

2. to make (a furrow) with a plow.

3. to tear up, cut into, or make a furrow, groove, etc. in (a surface) with or as if with a plow (often followed byup ).

   The tractor plowed up an acre of trees.

4. to clear by the use of a plow, especially a snowplow (sometimes followed byout ).

   The city's work crews were busily plowing the streets after the blizzard.

5. to invest, as capital (often followed byinto ).

   to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.

6. to reinvest or reutilize (usually followed byback ).

   to plow profits back into new plants and equipment.

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

   1. to cleave the surface of (the water).

      beavers plowing the pond.

   2. to make (a way) or follow (a course) in this manner.

      The yacht plowed an easterly course through the choppy Atlantic.

8. Slang: Vulgar.,  to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)

1. to till the soil or work with a plow.

2. to take plowing in a specified way.

   land that plows easily.

3. 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.

4. to proceed in a slow, laborious, and steady manner (often followed bythrough ).

   The researcher plowed through a pile of reports.

5. to move through water by cleaving the surface.

   a ship plowing through a turbulent sea.

verb phrase

1. plow under

   1. to bury under soil by plowing.

   2. to cause to disappear; force out of existence; overwhelm.

      Many mom-and-pop groceries have been plowed under by the big chain stores.

plow

/ plaʊ /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of plough

Other Word Forms

• plowable adjective
• plowability noun
• plower noun
• overplow verb
• replow verb (used with object)
• subplow verb
• unplowable adjective
• unplowed adjective
• well-plowed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plow¹

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

Example Sentences

Your stepson is generous, to a point, in declining to accept assets of these accounts, but he is not helping to speed the plow for you to inherit them in his place.

Read more on MarketWatch

Other streamers are also reporting profits, or at least paring losses, after plowing hundreds of millions of dollars into launching, expanding and advertising their platforms.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“But I want to show that this is possible. I’m plowing forward to finish this and make a difference.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The force of impact sent the parked vehicles plowing into the four Pepperdine students, who were walking along the shoulder after exiting a car.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It was the move to make for much of the year: Sell shares or borrow money, then plow the cash into bitcoin, ether and other cryptocurrencies.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bulldoze 
• cultivate 
• rake 
• reap 
• shove 
• smash