SOW

sow

(noun) an adult female hog

sow

(verb) introduce into an environment; “sow suspicion or beliefs”

sow, seed

(verb) place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth; “She sowed sunflower seeds”

inseminate, sow, sow in

(verb) place seeds in or on (the ground); “sow the ground with sunflower seeds”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

sow (plural sows or swine)

A female pig.

A female bear, she-bear.

A female guinea pig.

A channel that conducts molten metal to molds.

A mass of metal solidified in a mold.

(derogatory, slang) A contemptible, often fat woman.

A sowbug.

(military) A kind of covered shed, formerly used by besiegers in filling up and passing the ditch of a besieged place, sapping and mining the wall, etc.

Usage notes

The plural form swine is now obsolete in this sense.

Synonyms

• (mass of metal solidified in a mold): ingot

• (contemptible woman): bitch, cow

Etymology 2

Verb

sow (third-person singular simple present sows, present participle sowing, simple past sowed, past participle sowed or sown)

(ambitransitive) To scatter, disperse, or plant (seeds).

(figurative) To spread abroad; to propagate.

(figurative) To scatter over; to besprinkle.

Synonyms

• plant, scatter

Anagrams

• OSW, OWS, W.O.s, WOs, wos

Proper noun

Sow (plural Sows)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Sow is the 14920th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1984 individuals. Sow is most common among Black/African American (92.34%) individuals.

Anagrams

• OSW, OWS, W.O.s, WOs, wos

Source: Wiktionary


Sow, v. i.

Definition: To sew. See Sew. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sow, n. Etym: [OE. sowe, suwe, AS. sugu, akin to su, D. zog, zeug, OHG. su, G. sau, Icel. syr, Dan. so, Sw. sugga, so, L. sus. Gr. "y^s, sy^s, Zend. hu boar; probably from the root seen in Skr. su to beget, to bear; the animal being named in allusion to its fecundity. sq. root294. Cf. Hyena, Soil to stain, Son, Swine.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Definition: The female of swine, or of the hog kind.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A sow bug.

3. (Metal.) (a) A channel or runner which receives the rows of molds in the pig bed. (b) The bar of metal which remains in such a runner. (c) A mass of solidified metal in a furnace hearth; a salamander.

4. (Mil.)

Definition: A kind of covered shed, formerly used by besiegers in filling up and passing the ditch of a besieged place, sapping and mining the wall, or the like. Craig. Sow bread. (Bot.) See Cyclamen.

– Sow bug, or Sowbug (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of terrestrial Isopoda belonging to Oniscus, Porcellio, and allied genera of the family Oniscidæ. They feed chiefly on decaying vegetable substances.

– Sow thistle Etym: [AS. sugepistel] (Bot.), a composite plant (Sonchus oleraceus) said to be eaten by swine and some other animals.

Sow, v. t. [imp. Sowed; p. p. Sown or Sowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Sowing.] Etym: [OE. sowen, sawen, AS. sawan; akin to OFries. s, D. zaaijen, OS. & HG. sajan, G. säen, Icel. sa, Sw. så, Dan. saae, Goth. saian, Lith. seti, Russ. sieiate, L. serere, sevi. Cf. Saturday, Season, Seed, Seminary.]

1. To scatter, as seed, upon the earth; to plant by strewing; as, to sow wheat. Also used figuratively: To spread abroad; to propagate. "He would sow some difficulty." Chaucer. A sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside. Matt. xiii. 3, 4. And sow dissension in the hearts of brothers. Addison.

2. To scatter seed upon, in, or over; to supply or stock, as land, with seeds. Also used figuratively: To scatter over; to besprinkle. The intellectual faculty is a goodly field, . . . and it is the worst husbandry in the world to sow it with trifles. Sir M. Hale. [He] sowed with stars the heaven. Milton. Now morn . . . sowed the earth with orient pearl. Milton.

Sow, v. i.

Definition: To scatter seed for growth and the production of a crop; -- literally or figuratively. They that sow in tears shall reap in joi. Ps. cxxvi. 5.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

20 April 2024

MULTIPHASE

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Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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