plow

[ plou ]

/ plaʊ /

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

Example sentences from the Web for plow

The real story of who killed bin Laden may have gone to the bottom of the ocean or been plowed back into the dirt in Abbottabad.
Bin Laden ‘Shooter’ Story Is FUBAR, Special Ops Sources Say|Shane Harris|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It has plowed those funds into building out its network and constructing new energy gardens.
Will Food Waste Power Your Home?|The Daily Beast|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As he plowed through what was then a terrifying, alluring setlist, the kids did something unthinkable.
The GOP’s Real Ted Nugent Problem|James Poulos|February 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In that, it will join the dozens of states who have plowed ahead with similar proposals.
Shorter GOP: Spending on the Poor is OK When It’s for Drug Tests!|Jamelle Bouie|December 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST

His attempt to boost farm wages, called the Agricultural Adjustment Act, supposedly "plowed under" every fourth acre.
When America Said No to War|Marc Wortman|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There is an opinion among many farmers that sandy soils should not be plowed deep.
The First Book of Farming|Charles L. Goodrich
The last bit of it so far as I know was plowed up in 1877 in the northeastern part of Grundy County.
Vandemark's Folly|Herbert Quick
The peculiarity about this plucky little steamer is that no craft that ever plowed through those waters is so dependable.
The Launch Boys' Cruise in the Deerfoot|Edward S. Ellis
The ponies dropped down again into the bed of the wash, and plowed across through the heavy sand.
Bucky O'Connor|William MacLeod Raine
I've plowed, split wood, and done a little bit of ever'thing.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Arkansas Narratives, Part 4|Work Projects Administration

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

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plow