plow
Americannoun
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an agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.
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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.
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Type Founding. (formerly) an instrument for cutting the groove in the foot of type.
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Bookbinding. a device for trimming the edges of the leaves by hand.
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(initial capital letter)
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the constellation Ursa Major.
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the Big Dipper.
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verb (used with object)
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to turn up (soil) with a plow.
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to make (a furrow) with a plow.
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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.
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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.
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to invest, as capital (often followed byinto ).
to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.
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to reinvest or reutilize (usually followed byback ).
to plow profits back into new plants and equipment.
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(of a ship, boat, animal, etc.)
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to cleave the surface of (the water).
beavers plowing the pond.
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to make (a way) or follow (a course) in this manner.
The yacht plowed an easterly course through the choppy Atlantic.
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Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.
verb (used without object)
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to till the soil or work with a plow.
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to take plowing in a specified way.
land that plows easily.
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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.
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to proceed in a slow, laborious, and steady manner (often followed bythrough ).
The researcher plowed through a pile of reports.
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to move through water by cleaving the surface.
a ship plowing through a turbulent sea.
verb phrase
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of plow
before 1100; Middle English plouh, plugh ( e ), plough ( e ), Old English plōh; cognate with German Pflug plow
Explanation
A plow is a large tool used for farming. A farmer drives or pulls a plow across a field to prepare it for planting. The large blades of a plow break up the earth, cutting and turning it so it's loose and ready to be planted with seeds. When you operate a plow, you can say that you plow. Boats can plow through water, too — in fact, anything that moves forcibly forward also plows: a car plows through traffic, and figuratively, a student plows through her homework.
Vocabulary lists containing plow
Down on the Farm
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Mesopotamia - Introductory
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"A Natural Balance" and "In My Dreams"
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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.
The five largest hyperscalers are set to plow more than $750 billion into their AI investment projects this year, with an $800 billion tally forecast for 2027.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
What one strategist argues, therefore, is that investors should plow capital into the energy stocks providing the raw materials that technology stocks desperately require to grow.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
Back then the farm he lived on had more than a dozen dairy cows, plus sheep, pigs and plow horses, since his family didn’t have a tractor.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
As tech companies and other investors plow hundreds of billions into the power-hungry data centers needed to power AI models, the U.S. is seeing surging energy demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
I wrapped one rein around each hand and grabbed the plow handles.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
