mow

noun (1)

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\ ˈmau̇

Definition of mow

(Entry 1 of 4)

1 : a piled-up stack (as of hay or fodder) also : a pile of hay or grain in a barn

2 : the part of a barn where hay or straw is stored

mow

verb (1)

\ ˈmō

mowed; mowed or mown\ ˈmōn

\; mowing

Definition of mow (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

1a : to cut down with a scythe or sickle or machine

b : to cut the standing herbage (such as grass) of mow the lawn

2a(1) : to kill or destroy in great numbers or mercilessly machine guns mowed down the enemy

(2) : to cause to fall : knock down

b : to overcome swiftly and decisively : rout mowed down the opposing team

intransitive verb

: to cut down standing herbage (such as grass)

mow

noun (2)

\ ˈmau̇

, ˈmō

Definition of mow (Entry 3 of 4)

: grimace

mow

verb (2)

\ ˈmau̇

, ˈmō

mowed; mowing; mows

Definition of mow (Entry 4 of 4)

intransitive verb

: to make grimaces

History and Etymology for mow

Noun (1)

Middle English, heap, stack, from Old English mūga; akin to Old Norse mūgi heap

Verb (1)

Middle English mowen, going back to Old English māwan (past participle māwen), going back to West Germanic *mēan- (whence, with a differing hiatus consonant, Old Frisian miā, miān "to mow," Middle Dutch maeyen, Old High German *māen), going back to an Indo-European verbal base *h₂meh₁- "reap, mow," whence also Greek amáō, amân "to reap, cut" (perhaps from *h₂mh₁-eh₂-)

Note: Old English māwan is a Class VII strong verb (like cnāwan know entry 1, blāwan blow entry 1), though a weak verb in later Middle and Modern English and in other Germanic languages. The element *-eh₁- in *h₂meh₁- has been treated as a suffix, with a parallel derivative *h₂m-et- yielding Italo-Celtic *met-, in Latin metō, metere "to reap, harvest, cut off," Welsh medaf, medi "to reap," Middle Breton midiff, Breton mediñ, Middle Irish meithel "reaping party," Welsh medel. Hittite hamešha(nt)- "spring, harvest time" has also been connected with *h₂meh₁-, though with some dispute. Cf. aftermath, meadow.