sow

¹

[ soh ]

verb (used with object)

, sowed, sown or sowed, sow·ing.

1. to scatter (seed) over land, earth, etc., for growth; plant.
2. to plant seed for:

   to sow a crop.

3. to scatter seed over (land, earth, etc.) for the purpose of growth.
4. to implant, introduce, or promulgate; seek to propagate or extend; disseminate:

   to sow distrust or dissension.

   Synonyms: circulate, spread, propagate, inject

5. to strew or sprinkle with anything.

verb (used without object)

, sowed, sown or sowed, sow·ing.

1. to sow seed, as for the production of a crop.

sow

²

[ sou ]

noun

1. an adult female swine.
2. the adult female of various other animals, as the bear.
3. Metallurgy.
   1. a large oblong mass of iron that has solidified in the common channel through which the molten metal flows to the smaller channels in which the pigs solidify.
   2. the common channel itself.
   3. a basin holding any of certain molten nonferrous metals to be cast.

sow

¹

/ səʊ /

verb

1. 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

sow

²

/ saʊ /

noun

1. a female adult pig
2. the female of certain other animals, such as the mink
3. metallurgy
   1. the channels for leading molten metal to the moulds in casting pig iron
   2. iron that has solidified in these channels

Derived Forms

• ˈsowable, adjective
• ˈsower, noun

Other Words From

• sow·a·ble adjective
• sow·er noun
• un·sowed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sowen, Old English sāwan; cognate with Dutch zaaien, German säen, Old Norse sā, Gothic saian; akin to seed, Latin sēmen “seed”

Origin of sow²

First recorded before 900; Middle English soue, sou(we), Old English sugu, sū; cognate with German Sau, Old Norse sȳr, Latin sūs, Greek hûs, Tocharian B suwo; swine

Word History and Origins

Origin of sow¹

Old English sāwan; related to Old Norse sā, Old High German sāen, Old Slavonic seja, Latin serere to sow

Origin of sow²

Old English sugu; related to Old Norse sӯr, Old High German sū, Latin sūs, Norwegian sugga, Dutch zeug: see swine

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with sow , also see can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear .

Example Sentences

After their platforms were used to sow hateful rhetoric and disinformation in the 2016 campaign, Facebook, Google and Twitter faced calls to introduce new guide rails muting virulently negative speech and blocking false information.

From Washington Post

The seeds of these requests were sown back in late March, when brands wrestled with a host of economic, operational and branding challenges caused by the spread of coronavirus, and ad spending ground to a halt.

From Digiday

In recent months, its operators have been increasingly renting it out to other criminals who have used it to sow ransomware, which encrypts data on target networks, crippling them until the victims pay up.

From Fortune

For wherever free men lose hope of progress, liberty will be weakened and the seeds of conflict will be sown.

From No Straight News

You may even have sown the seeds for the weeds, and then you’re ripping them out.

From Vox

But if you choose to conduct your discourse in 140-word snaps, or soundbites, then you reap the crop of dumb that you sow.

From The Daily Beast

The youngsters arrived at our border with the unspoken message that we reap what we sow.

From The Daily Beast

You reap what you sow, and Republicans are paying the price for elevating a minority within their party.

From The Daily Beast

“Their lack of appreciation is obvious and quite frankly, they reap what they sow,” reads one.

From The Daily Beast

But on Wednesday, two of its 15 stores were burned down, according to Atallah who believes the attacks were meant to sow discord.

From The Daily Beast

But before he could even sow that year's crop, he would have to see a certain banker who lived in Nebraska.

From Project Gutenberg

Blessed are ye that sow upon all waters, sending thither the foot of the ox and the ass.

From Project Gutenberg

For ten acres, or fifty thousand hills, burn and sow three patches each of seventy-five square yards.

From Project Gutenberg

If Peruvian guano is applied, sow on about three hundred pounds to the acre in connection with the domestic manure.

From Project Gutenberg

A pint of meal and a pint of plaster to each rod, is a good mixture to sow in.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• grow
• propagate
• scatter