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

Information world war: Renee DiResta, fellow in media, misinformation and trust at Mozilla, on the stakes for democracies that value free speech amid efforts by state actors and and extremists to sow discord and erode shared reality. — SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area political events: Oakland’s people’s budget, Shannon Watts," 10 June 2019 The trial, culminating in the verdict’s broadcast from within the courtroom, created some of the most intense early demand for the current 24-hour news cycle and sowed the seeds for the reality television boom to follow. — Maude Campbell, Popular Mechanics, "The Time of True Crime," 26 Apr. 2019 Despite the attention Russia’s election interference and efforts to sow political discord in the U.S. have received, China remains a top long-term strategic threat, top U.S. intelligence officials have said. — Vivian Salama, WSJ, "Trump Accuses China of Trying to Interfere in U.S. Elections," 26 Sep. 2018 The Trump administration is sowing the seeds of a host of problems that will only become evident over time. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Trump’s China strategy is the most radical in decades — and it’s failing," 18 Sep. 2018 This typically involves the use of stringing concertina wire, digging trenches, sowing minefields, and constructing anti-tank barriers. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This Robotic M1 Abrams Battle Tank Can Smash Through Enemy Defenses," 8 May 2019 Or make a second sowing outdoors in June in order to have small plants to pot up and bring indoors for winter. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow Basil for Your Best Pesto Yet," 20 Aug. 2018 Immigration raids sow terror that those impacted say can be hard to move past, even for people who avoid detention and deportation. — Natascha Uhlmann, Teen Vogue, "How Activists Can Fight Back Against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)," 13 May 2019 Improve its low germination rate by soaking the seed in bathtub-warm water for one hour, then sow 1 inch apart. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow Beets This Fall for a Hearty Autumn Harvest," 21 Aug. 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.