furrow

1 of 2

noun

fur·​row ˈfər-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce furrow (audio)
ˈfə-(ˌ)rō
1
a
: a trench in the earth made by a plow
b
: plowed land : field
2
: something that resembles the track of a plow: such as
a
: a marked narrow depression : groove
tracing a fingernail along a furrow in the corduroy of her housecoatDouglass Wallop
b
: a deep wrinkle
furrows in his brow

furrow

2 of 2

verb

furrowed; furrowing; furrows

transitive verb

: to make furrows, grooves, wrinkles, or lines in

intransitive verb

: to make or form furrows, grooves, wrinkles, or lines

Examples of furrow in a Sentence

Noun We plowed furrows in the field. When he frowns a deep furrow forms in his brow. Verb His forehead furrows when he frowns. we had to furrow the field before we could plant the wheat
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There was no furrow in his brow, no impatience in his demeanor. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2024 Television ploughs the same dry furrow — cooking shows where Gordon Ramsay yells at people, cop shows where strong, fierce women cops subdue 250-pound men. James Lileks, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 In the autumn light, the contrast between the furrows of muck and the lime oceans of cane glow. Michael Adno, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2024 Elsewhere, birds had scattered seeds throughout what was once an orderly orchard, so that new trees soon obscured the old furrows. Jake Bittle, WIRED, 6 Jan. 2024 As with so many other things, Lamborghini is plowing its own furrow with its electrification strategy. Alex Kalogiannis, Ars Technica, 26 Apr. 2023 Gravediggers have laid dozens of unidentified bodies side by side in two large backhoe-dug furrows in Gaza City now holding 63 and 46 bodies, respectively, said Mohammed Abu Selmia, the general director of Shifa Hospital. TIME, 28 Oct. 2023 The piece helped remediate a polluted site and offered the surreal vision of downtown emerging from behind tidy furrows of corn. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 Just look at the impenitent subject: the deep furrow between his eyebrows and the one that contours his cheek seem to want to connect and form a kind of scar in shadow. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023
Verb
Off to the side, a metallic Lenin looked on, his brow furrowed; his dais had only two tiers, and was partially covered by the branches of a birch tree. Elettra Pauletto, Harper's Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023 Video footage shows a brief conversation between the duo, hands gesticulating, brows furrowed. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2023 First bites were a complete pleasure, but follow-up bites saw our tasters furrow their metaphorical collective brow. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 3 Nov. 2023 Some actors forge long-term relationships with auteurs that require sacrificing what has made them into movie stars: To ascend to a more prestigious plane, comedians furrow their brows, beauties cake themselves in dirt and teen idols talk of torturing themselves in the name of their craft. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023 Her demeanor is kind and sensible, her eyes piercing; a deep line furrows her brows. Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2023 At this, the shooter appeared to subtly shake his head and furrow his brows. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023 Her amber eyes peer quizzically at the viewer, with her brow slightly furrowed. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Sep. 2023 Glenn Hayden, brow furrowed, was driving east along the thoroughfare en route to Woodland Hills’ Business Machines Center to drop off a typewriter for repair. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'furrow.' 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 and Verb

Middle English furgh, forow, from Old English furh; akin to Old High German furuh furrow, Latin porca

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of furrow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near furrow

Cite this Entry

“Furrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furrow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

furrow

1 of 2 noun
fur·​row ˈfər-ō How to pronounce furrow (audio)
ˈfə-rō
1
: a trench in the earth made by or as if by a plow
2
: a narrow groove or wrinkle

furrow

2 of 2 verb
: to make furrows, grooves, wrinkles, or lines in

Medical Definition

1
: a marked narrow depression or groove
2
: a deep wrinkle

More from Merriam-Webster on furrow

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