sow

1 of 2

noun

1
: an adult female swine
also : the adult female of various other animals (such as a bear)
2
a
: a channel that conducts molten metal to molds
b
: a mass of metal solidified in such a mold : ingot

sow

2 of 2

verb

sowed; sown ˈsōn How to pronounce sow (audio) or sowed; sowing

intransitive verb

1
: to plant seed for growth especially by scattering
2
: to set something in motion : begin an enterprise

transitive verb

1
a
: to scatter (seed) upon the earth for growth
broadly : plant sense 1a
b
: to strew with or as if with seed
c
: to introduce into a selected environment : implant
2
: to set in motion : foment
sow suspicion
3
: to spread abroad : disperse

Examples of sow in a Sentence

Verb Every year we sow corn. Farmers sowed the fields with corn. We'll sow in the early spring.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The media assets of the Russian state sow chaos and spread lies from New York to Nottingham. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 19 May 2024 The hardships that rising food prices create sow discontent in developing countries. Christopher B. Barrett, Foreign Affairs, 12 July 2011
Verb
At the moment, though, the legal wrangling is sowing confusion throughout the student-aid system, with millions of borrowers’ monthly payments thrown into doubt. Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2024 Throughout the last seven weeks, the senator's lawyers have sought to undermine the credibility of government witnesses, trying to sow doubt about how much Menendez knew about what prosecutors say was a sprawling scheme that began in 2018. Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for sow 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sowe, from Old English sugu; akin to Old English & Old High German sow, Latin sus pig, swine, hog, Greek hys

Verb

Middle English, from Old English sāwan; akin to Old High German sāwen to sow, Latin serere, Lithuanian sėti

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sow

Cite this Entry

“Sow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sow. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

sow

1 of 2 noun
: an adult female hog
also : the adult female of various other animals (as a bear)

sow

2 of 2 verb
sowed; sown ˈsōn How to pronounce sow (audio) or sowed; sowing
1
a
: to plant seed for growth especially by scattering
c
: to scatter with or as if with seed
d
: to put into a selected environment : distribute
2
: to set in motion : foment
sowing the seeds of suspicion
3
: to spread over a wide area : disperse, disseminate
sower noun

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