sow
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sow
scatter seed on the earth; to plant: sow a crop; circulate
Not to be confused with:
sew – fasten by stitches made with needle and thread; make clothes with cloth: She will sew a party dress for me.
so – in the way or manner indicated; in order that: Please RSVP so that we’ll know how many reservations to make.; to the extent or degree indicated: I feel so good.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
sow 1
(sō)v. sowed, sown (sōn) or sowed, sow·ing, sows
v.tr.
1. To scatter (seed) over the ground for growing.
2. To scatter seed over (land, for example).
3. To strew something around or over (an area); distribute something over: "The yard was sown with cement sculpture" (Ashley Warlick).
4. To propagate; disseminate: sow rumors.
v.intr.
Idiom: To scatter seed for growing.
sow (one's) oats/wild oats
To indulge in sexually promiscuous or dissolute behavior, especially as a young adult.
sow′er n.
sow 2
(sou)n.
1.
a. An adult female pig, especially one that has had at least one litter.
b. The adult female of several other animals, such as the bear.
2.
a. A channel that conducts molten iron to the molds in a pig bed.
b. The mass of metal solidified in such a channel or mold.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
sow
(səʊ)vb, sows, sowing, sowed, sown or sowed
1. (Agriculture) to scatter or place (seed, a crop, etc) in or on (a piece of ground, field, etc) so that it may grow: to sow wheat; to sow a strip of land.
2. (tr) to implant or introduce: to sow a doubt in someone's mind.
[Old English sāwan; related to Old Norse sā, Old High German sāen, Old Slavonic seja, Latin serere to sow]
ˈsowable adj
ˈsower n
sow
(saʊ)n
1. (Animals) a female adult pig
2. (Animals) the female of certain other animals, such as the mink
3. (Metallurgy) metallurgy
a. the channels for leading molten metal to the moulds in casting pig iron
b. iron that has solidified in these channels
[Old English sugu; related to Old Norse sӯr, Old High German sū, Latin sūs, Norwegian sugga, Dutch zeug: see swine]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sow1
(soʊ)v. sowed, sown sowed, sow•ing. v.t.
1. to scatter (seed) over land, earth, etc., for growth; plant.
2. to scatter seed over (land, earth, etc.) for the purpose of growth.
3. to implant, introduce, or promulgate; disseminate: to sow distrust or dissension.
4. to strew or sprinkle with anything.
v.i. 5. to sow seed, as for the production of a crop.
Idioms: sow one's wild oats, to have a youthful fling at reckless, indiscreet behavior.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English sāwan, c. Old Saxon sāian, Old High German sā(w)en, Old Norse sā, Gothic saian; akin to seed, Latin sēmen seed, serere to sow]
sow′a•ble, adj.
sow′er, n.
sow2
(saʊ)n.
1. an adult female swine.
2. the adult female of various other animals, as the bear.
3.
a. a large oblong mass of iron that has solidified in the common channel through which the molten metal flows to the smaller channels where the pigs solidify.
b. the common channel itself.
[before 900; Middle English sowe, Old English sugu, c. Old Saxon suga]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
sow
– sewThe verbs sow and sew are both pronounced (/səʊ/).
1. 'sow'
If you sow seeds, you plant them in the ground. The past tense of sow is sowed. The past participle can be either sown or sowed. Sown is more common.
An enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat.
Spring wheat should be sown as early as you can get the land ready.
2. 'sew'
If you sew, you join pieces of cloth together by passing thread through them with a needle. The past tense of sew is sewed. The past participle can be either sewn or sewed. Sewn is more common.
She sewed all her own dresses.
Before I went to Alice Springs I had never sewn a dress or mended a sock.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
sow
Past participle: sowed/sown
Gerund: sowing
| Imperative |
|---|
| sow |
| sow |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  sow - an adult female hog swine - stout-bodied short-legged omnivorous animals |
| Verb | 1. | sow - place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth; "She sowed sunflower seeds" lay, place, put, set, position, pose - put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point" broadcast - sow over a wide area, especially by hand; "broadcast seeds" scatter - sow by scattering; "scatter seeds" |
| 2. | sow - introduce into an environment; "sow suspicion or beliefs" disseminate, pass around, circulate, diffuse, broadcast, circularise, circularize, spread, disperse, propagate, distribute - cause to become widely known; "spread information"; "circulate a rumor"; "broadcast the news" | |
| 3. | sow - place seeds in or on (the ground); "sow the ground with sunflower seeds" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
sow
verb
1. scatter, plant, seed, lodge, implant, disseminate, broadcast, inseminate Yesterday the field opposite was sown with maize.
2. produce, cause, create, occasion, generate, provoke, induce, bring about, give rise to, precipitate, incite, engender He sowed doubt into the minds of his rivals.
sow the seeds of something set in motion, trigger, initiate, originate, activate, get going, engender, instigate, kick-start Rich industrialised countries have sowed the seeds of global warming.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
sow
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
خنْزيرَهيَبْذُر، يَزْرَعيَغْرُس، يَبْذُر
sítsviněosít
plantesåsotilplante
emakkoemäsikakylvää
vet
gyltasásá, gróîursetja
apsētcūkaiesētsētsivēnmāte
lochamaciora
siaťzasiať
sejati
galtgötsåsosubba
dişi domuzekmeksaçmaktohum ekmek
sow
1 [səʊ] (sowed (pt) (sown (pp))) VT [+ seed] → sembrarto sow doubt in sb's mind → sembrar dudas en algn
to sow mines in a strait; sow a strait with mines → sembrar un estrecho de minas, colocar minas en un estrecho
sow
2 [saʊ] N (Zool) → puerca f, marrana fCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
sow
3 [ˈsəʊ] [sowed] (pt) [sowed, sown] (pp) vt [+ seed, field] → semer
(= spread) [+ doubts, confusion, dissension] → semer
sow
4 [ˈsaʊ] n → truie fCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
sow
1 pret <sowed>, ptp <sown or sowed>vt
corn, plants → säen; seed → aussäen; (Mil) mine → legen; to sow the garden with grass → im Garten Gras (aus)säen; this field has been sown with barley → auf diesem Feld ist Gerste gesät; to sow mines in a strait → eine Meerenge verminen
(fig) to sow (the seeds of) hatred/discord → Hass/Zwietracht säen; to sow (the seeds of) anarchy → zur Anarchie anstiften; to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind (prov) → wer Wind sät, wird Sturm ernten (Prov); as you sow so shall you reap (prov) → was der Mensch säet, das wird er ernten (Prov) ? seed
sow
2Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
sow
1 [səʊ] (sowed (pt) (sown (pp))) vt → seminareto sow (the seeds of) doubt in sb's mind → far sorgere dei dubbi a qn
to sow (the seeds of) discord → seminare zizzania
sow
2 [saʊ] n → scrofaCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
sow1
(səu) – past tense sowed: past participle sown ~sowed – verb1. to scatter over, or put in, the ground. I sowed lettuce in this part of the garden.
2. to plant seed over. This field has been sown with wheat.
to sow (not sew) seed.sow2
(sau) noun a female pig.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.