sow

¹ American  

[soh] / soʊ /

verb (used with object)

sowed, sown, sowed, sowing.

1. to scatter (seed) over land, earth, etc., for growth; plant.

2. to plant seed for.

   to sow a crop.

3. to scatter seed over (land, earth, etc.) for the purpose of growth.

4. to implant, introduce, or promulgate; seek to propagate or extend; disseminate.

   to sow distrust or dissension.

   Synonyms:

   circulate , spread , propagate , inject

5. to strew or sprinkle with anything.

---

verb (used without object)

sowed, sown, sowed, sowing.

1. to sow seed, as for the production of a crop.

sow ² American  

[sou] / saʊ /

noun

1. an adult female swine.

2. the adult female of various other animals, as the bear.

3. Metallurgy.

   1. a large oblong mass of iron that has solidified in the common channel through which the molten metal flows to the smaller channels in which the pigs solidify.

   2. the common channel itself.

   3. a basin holding any of certain molten nonferrous metals to be cast.

---

sow ¹ British  

/ saʊ /

noun

1. a female adult pig

2. the female of certain other animals, such as the mink

3. metallurgy

   1. the channels for leading molten metal to the moulds in casting pig iron

   2. iron that has solidified in these channels

---

sow ² British  

/ səʊ /

verb

1. to scatter or place (seed, a crop, etc) in or on (a piece of ground, field, etc) so that it may grow

   to sow wheat

   to sow a strip of land

2. (tr) to implant or introduce

   to sow a doubt in someone's mind

---

sow Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing sow

• can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

---

Other Word Forms

• sowable adjective
• sower noun
• sowlike adjective
• unsowed adjective

Etymology

Origin of sow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sowen, Old English sāwan; cognate with Dutch zaaien, German säen, Old Norse sā, Gothic saian; akin to seed, Latin sēmen “seed”

Origin of sow²

First recorded before 900; Middle English soue, sou(we), Old English sugu, sū; cognate with German Sau, Old Norse sȳr, Latin sūs, Greek hûs, Tocharian B suwo; swine

Example Sentences

The masks and lack of identification have sowed fears the armed men could be people posing as law enforcement officers.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet so much of the media coverage around Kennedy, especially lately, has focused more on his personality and lurid life history rather than the chaos and destruction he has sown.

From Salon

"Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger," he wrote, singling out Kelly as the only one of the six who is still subject to the UCMJ.

From BBC

“Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion—which only puts our warriors in danger.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Those sown in August are currently just tiny blue-green shoots.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• grow
• propagate
• scatter