plow

1 of 2

noun

1
: an implement used to cut, lift, and turn over soil especially in preparing a seedbed
2
: any of various devices (such as a snowplow) operating like a plow

plow

2 of 2

verb

plowed; plowing; plows

transitive verb

1
a
: to turn, break up, or work with a plow
b
: to make (something, such as a furrow) with a plow
2
: to cut into, open, or make furrows or ridges in with or as if with a plow
3
: to cleave the surface of or move through (water)
whales plowing the ocean
4
: to clear away snow from with a snowplow
plow the street
5
: to spend or invest (money) in substantial amounts
used with into
plow money into stocks

intransitive verb

1
a
: to use a plow
b
: to undergo plowing
2
a
: to move forcefully into or through something
the car plowed into a fence
b
: to proceed steadily and laboriously
had to plow through a stack of letters
plowable adjective
plower noun

Examples of plow in a Sentence

Verb The soil was freshly plowed. They used oxen to plow the field. My street hasn't been plowed yet. We hired someone to plow the snow from our driveway. The town won't start plowing until the storm is almost over. a ship plowing the ocean They continued to plow their way through the tall grass.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Similarly, when the snow starts to fall, salt, gravel, and other debris can get onto the windows due to passing cars and snow plows. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2024 City and state officials are preparing for flash floods, heavy winds and downed trees as Hurricane Helene, a massive and potentially historic storm, plows through south Georgia and into Atlanta. Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 26 Sep. 2024
Verb
To rescue him without starting an all-out gunfight, Knight sacrifices her sweet new California ride, plowing it into the van. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024 Now that Milton has plowed its way out of the state and into the Atlantic Ocean, teams at NASA have been able to get back to the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center to assess the extent of the damage. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plow 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plow.' 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, from Old English plōh hide of land; akin to Old High German pfluog plow

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of plow was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near plow

Cite this Entry

“Plow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plow. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plow

1 of 2 noun
1
: a farm machine used to cut, lift, and turn over soil
2
: a device (as a snowplow) used to spread or clear away matter on the ground

plow

2 of 2 verb
1
: to open, break up, or work with a plow
plow a furrow
2
: to move forcefully into or through
a ship plowing the waves
3
: to go steadily and with great effort
plow through a report
4
: to clear away snow from with a plow
plow the road

More from Merriam-Webster on plow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!