sow

1 of 2

noun

1
: an adult female swine
also : the adult female of various other animals (such as a bear)
2
a
: a channel that conducts molten metal to molds
b
: a mass of metal solidified in such a mold : ingot

sow

2 of 2

verb

sowed; sown ˈsōn How to pronounce sow (audio) or sowed; sowing

intransitive verb

1
: to plant seed for growth especially by scattering
2
: to set something in motion : begin an enterprise

transitive verb

1
a
: 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

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
Galante went out to intervene and the sow redirected its attention on her. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 For 24 years, the critical distance and self-deprecating humility that separate comedian from character have saved him from provoking the kind of outrage his avatar so relentlessly sows. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 That embryo is then transferred to a surrogate sow. Jen Christensen, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024 Because of that, the mature boars are solitary animals that spend most of their time looking for the next receptive sow. Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 28 Sep. 2023 Officers from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado Springs Police Department began a search for the 150-pound sow and her two cubs, and quickly located the bear, according to authorities. Gina Martinez, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2023 At the facility—a concentrated animal-feeding operation, or CAFO—pregnant pigs were confined to gestation crates, metal enclosures so small that the sows could barely lie down. Elizabeth Barber, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2023 The former governor doesn't shy away from those facts, but the turnabout sows doubt with some voters about his motivations. Hunter Woodall, Grace Kazarian, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2023 In the years that a sow births and nurses, the cementum layer is thin and scant, since the sow gives up so much energy and nourishment to support her cubs. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 28 Sep. 2023
Verb
Officials in Georgia have argued that those charged were involved in sowing disorder and destruction — actions that demanded a swift and forceful response. Rick Rojas, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 But politics often get in the way of these aims by sowing division rather than mutual understanding. Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The undermining of democracy is also more insidious, less about pushing communities toward a specific candidate than sowing distrust in the system itself—which leads fewer people to vote and otherwise suppresses civic participation. Nicole Tisdale, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024 In interviews leading up to her release from prison in Indonesia, Mack told the New York Post that the trip sowed the seeds of her anger toward her mother. Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024 More:Senate rejects another Evers appointee, this time for Public Service Commission Clean energy advocates had urged the Senate to confirm Huebner, warning that creating a second vacancy at the agency would sow uncertainty at a critical juncture in the state's energy transformation. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2024 Job Dissatisfaction: Unhappiness with one's role, heavy workloads, and a lack of career progression or purpose can sow the seeds of discontent. Naz Beheshti, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 For years, the real-life Russian company used bogus social-media accounts to sow fake news and real division, apparently manufacturing millions of tweets’ worth of institutional mistrust and norm-eroding nastiness. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024 That legislation will then sow chaos in the otherwise placid and preternaturally competent House GOP, culminating in Joe Biden’s reelection. Noah Rothman, National Review, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sow.' 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 sowe, from Old English sugu; akin to Old English & Old High German sow, Latin sus pig, swine, hog, Greek hys

Verb

Middle English, from Old English sāwan; akin to Old High German sāwen to sow, Latin serere, Lithuanian sėti

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near sow

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

sow

1 of 2 noun
: an adult female hog
also : the adult female of various other animals (as a bear)

sow

2 of 2 verb
sowed; sown ˈsōn How to pronounce sow (audio) or sowed; sowing
1
a
: to plant seed for growth especially by scattering
c
: to scatter with or as if with seed
d
: to put into a selected environment : distribute
2
: to set in motion : foment
sowing the seeds of suspicion
3
: to spread over a wide area : disperse, disseminate
sower noun

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