plow

[ 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) Astronomy.
   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 by up ):

   The tractor plowed up an acre of trees.

4. 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.

5. to invest, as capital (often followed by into ):

   to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.

6. to reinvest or reutilize (usually followed by back ):

   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 by through ):

   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. 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

Derived Forms

• ˈplower, noun

Other Words From

• plowa·ble adjective
• plowa·bili·ty noun
• plower noun
• over·plow verb
• re·plow verb (used with object) replowed replowing
• subplow noun
• sub·plow verb
• un·plowa·ble adjective
• un·plowed 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

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.

From 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.

From Washington Post

Snow pushers are essentially smaller, hand-powered versions of the industrial plow.

From 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.

From 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.

From Popular-Science

Think the Frogtown settlers rinsed their tonsils with something that was “too wet to plow and too thick to drink”?

From The Daily Beast

Speed-the-Plow is a particularly interesting choice for Lohan.

From The Daily Beast

The Times, carefully couching its words, said it spoke with Lohan about a “potential appearance” in Speed-the-Plow.

From The Daily Beast

No matter: Christman and her conservative sisters remain unbowed and eager to plow ahead.

From The Daily Beast

The horse has always been a tool for man, whether it was tied to a plow or pulling a carriage.

From The Daily Beast

Cincinnatus will not back to his plow, or, at the best, stands sullenly between his plow-handles arguing for a higher wage.

From Project Gutenberg

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.

From Project Gutenberg

They do not have to plow or dig, or perform any other cultivation than that of clearing the land where they are to plant.

From Project Gutenberg

The mode of culture is to plow between the rows and hoe the plants carefully.

From Project Gutenberg

Scattergood had first encountered her when she came to his hardware store to buy a plow.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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