Sow

/soʊ/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A female pig, especially when mature enough to breed.

The farmer raised several sows on his farm for breeding.

verb

To plant seeds in the ground for growth.

Farmers usually sow their fields in the spring.

To scatter or spread (seeds, ideas, etc.)

The speaker aimed to sow doubt about the competing candidate.

Old English sāwian, from Proto-Germanic *sēwaną.

sow the seeds

To begin a process that will lead to a particular result.

sow discord

To create conflict or distrust among people.

sow doubts

To cause someone to have doubts about something.

seed

The part of a plant from which a new plant can grow.

cultivate

To prepare and use land for crops or gardening.

harvest

To gather crops from the fields.

To sow wild oats

He is at college sowing his wild oats before settling down.

Sow your oats

After graduating, he took a year off to sow his oats.