plow

noun

\ˈplau̇

Definition of plow

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

plowed; plowing; plows

Definition of plow (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

1a : to use a plow

b : to undergo plowing

2a : 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

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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

Last season's storms left cars littered on the sides of roads and freeways, some blocking travel lanes and plows. — Elliot Njus, OregonLive.com, "Portland officials declare 'parking amnesty,' urge patience as snow threatens evening commute," 20 Feb. 2018 The woman was struck by the plow at about 11:17 p.m., said Officer James Kenneally, a department spokesman. — Felicia Gans, BostonGlobe.com, "Woman, 67, critically injured when hit by snow plow near Tufts Medical Center," 8 Mar. 2018 Property damage, Jefferson Drive: A resident reported Jan. 15 her mailbox was damaged by a snow plow. — Andy Attina / Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "DJ equipment mistaken for weapon: Highland Heights Police Blotter," 17 Jan. 2018 Except for the steady grunt of plows in the distance, the world echoed in decibels of silence. — Beck Dorey-stein, Philly.com, "Charles Barkley was star-struck before interviewing president Obama. A stenographer from Narberth calmed him down," 2 July 2018 Suddenly, the birds are before you, 4-foot-tall creatures with 6-foot wing spans, in nests perched no higher than the top of a utility pole or in fields scrounging after plows. — L. Kim Tan, BostonGlobe.com, "In Latvia, we got carried away with storks," 26 June 2018 Arborists can also use a vibratory plow to actively separate the intermingled root structure, although this can be costly. — Thomas Jewell, cleveland.com, "South Euclid Tree Commissioner hosts oak wilt seminar Arbor Day weekend," 17 Apr. 2018 More than 100 garbage trucks, with front plows mounted on them, are ready to be deployed if needed. — Rick Barrett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Hazardous driving conditions Saturday night as snow, wind will cause slippery roads, limited visibility," 1 Feb. 2018 Come and see a fire truck, an ambulance, a plow truck, a loader, an ice cream truck and many more. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Enfield Edition," 2 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Because the town never plowed the cemetery, the prairie has gradually overtaken the gravesites. — Aimee Levitt, Chicago Reader, "Lincoln, lizard mounds, angels, devil’s curses, and junk food magnates: midwestern cemeteries have ’em all," 30 May 2018 The loader is normally used for plowing, hauling material, or on construction sites. — Dennis Hohenberger, Courant Community, "Enfield DPW Holds Collection For Local Food Pantries," 29 May 2018 Trees provided shade most of the way as the river wound through farmland, some fields plowed right up to the river. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Paddling the Pecatonica through the Driftless Region," 24 May 2018 The road was plowed clear last week, rangers said, and crews are clearing adjacent parking areas, pullouts and shoulders. — Tom Stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Yosemite, Tahoe, Shasta a go for summer rec season," 14 May 2018 Carol Sharrow, 51, allegedly plowed through a gate and drove across a little league baseball field Friday night. — CBS News, "Police investigate deadly hit-and-run at baseball game in Maine," 2 June 2018 The actors plow through the jokes, hammering them hard – often too hard. — David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, "'Sooner/Later' breaks all the rules; it shouldn’t work – but it does," 30 Mar. 2018 A decade ago Ram half-tons plowed through the air at about 0.52 Cd. — Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, "Ram scores first strike as roomier, cushier all-new 2019 Ram 1500 begins shipping," 26 Mar. 2018 Last year: Sebastien Bourdais plowed through the field from the back and opened 2017 with an upset win. — Elton Alexander, cleveland.com, "IndyCar 2018: Live scoring, TV, live streaming from season opener at St. Petersburg," 9 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.