sow

noun

\ ˈsau̇

Definition of sow

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an adult female swine also : the adult female of various other animals (such as a bear)

2a : a channel that conducts molten metal to molds

b : a mass of metal solidified in such a mold : ingot

sow

verb

\ ˈsō

sowed; sown\ ˈsōn

\ or sowed; sowing

Definition of sow (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to plant seed for growth especially by scattering

2 : to set something in motion : begin an enterprise

transitive verb

1a : 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

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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 sow clawed at his eye, leaving a bloody gash across the bridge of his nose. — Matt Volz, The Seattle Times, "Grizzly attacks hunter in mountains north of Yellowstone," 15 Oct. 2018 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said in a statement Monday that the bear’s response was normal for a sow with a cub encountering a human at close range. — Matt Volz, The Seattle Times, "Grizzly attacks hunter in mountains north of Yellowstone," 15 Oct. 2018 Ten states — none major pork producers — have passed laws that ban or phase out the use of those narrow metal cages, known as gestation crates or stalls, where sows are confined during their frequent pregnancies. — Colleen Slevin, The Seattle Times, "Undercover video shows pig abuse but also common practices," 30 July 2018 For a fall crop, also known as a second harvest, sow seeds indoors in May or June, and follow the same directions, transplanting seedlings in June or July. — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow Your Own Crunchy Celery," 19 Apr. 2017 Peter confiscates her scrunchie, but his ex-girlfriend Gen steals it at the same party to mess with his mind and sow seeds of discord with Lara Jean, her ex-best friend. — Ella Cerón, Teen Vogue, "Best Scrunchies to Channel Lara Jean Covey from "To All the Boys I've Loved Before"," 21 Aug. 2018 If sowing seeds directly, sow 4 seeds per inch in rows 6-8 inches apart. — Hilary Dahl, Good Housekeeping, "4 Essential Tips For Planning Your Fall Garden—And 5 Veggies You Can Still Plant In August," 3 Aug. 2017 The sow had been killed the day before, but neither the skull nor hide were salvaged. — Laurel Andrews, Anchorage Daily News, "Brown bear cub rescued after sow illegally killed near Nome," 10 May 2018 In mid-August set out broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts transplants, and in late August sow beets, carrots, radishes, spinach, lettuce and other leaf and root crops. — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "Here’s your gardening to-do list for the second part of the summer," 11 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

For months, Nunes has been battling with the Justice Department for a range of documents in an attempt to sow doubt about the roots of the Russia investigation. — Manu Raju, Laura Jarrett And Jeremy Herb, CNN, "Ryan backs Nunes in latest dispute with Justice Department," 10 May 2018 Teenagers need to test boundaries and sow a few wild oats; when that teenager is a witch, the stakes are a bit higher. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," 18 Dec. 2018 The effort also included bogus Facebook ads and social media postings that prosecutors say were aimed at influencing public opinion and sowing discord on hot-button social issues. — Eric Tucker, BostonGlobe.com, "Moscow accused of US election meddling in indictment," 13 July 2018 During the 2016 presidential election, for example, Russia used fake Facebook ads, Twitter bots, and other means to sow discord among the public and spread false information. — Alex Ward, Vox, "The 2018 midterm election hasn’t been hacked — but Russia is still trying to influence it," 6 Nov. 2018 And with that anonymity has come racist, sexist and anti-Semitic taunts and attacks, as well as full-fledged campaigns from trolls, individuals or groups whose primary intent is to sow discord on social media platforms. — Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, "Capital Gazette gunman constantly harassed journalists on Twitter. Why wasn't he stopped?," 29 June 2018 Seeds for this radish should be sown after the last frost. — Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Indianapolis Star, "The Hoosier Gardener: From lettuce to squash, local gardeners have their faves," 11 May 2018 The Past: Election hackers are usually trying to sow confusion and undermine trust in the institutions of democracy. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "If the 2018 Election Is Hacked, This Is How It Will Happen," 5 Nov. 2018 Speaking at a campaign rally in Miami for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), Obama bluntly accused Trump of lying and sowing division in a nation racked by polarization. — Zeeshan Aleem, Vox, "Obama tends to hold back. But he’s getting aggressive for the midterms.," 3 Nov. 2018

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