Agriculturea large tool used in farming for cutting, lifting, turning over, and breaking up soil.
a tool resembling this, as a large shovel used to clear away snow from a road or track.
v.
to turn up (soil) with a plow: [~ + object]to plow the heavy soil.[no object]Is it too early to plow for spring crops?
to turn up the soil of (an area) with a plow:plowed forty acres yesterday.
to cut into or move through (a surface) as if with a plow: [~ + up + object]The tornado plowed up an acre of trees.[no object]A hail of bullets plowed into the side of the car.
to clear (an area) by the use of a plow, esp. a snowplow: [~ + object]The trucks plowed the roads.[no object]It was too late to plow.
Businessto invest or make use of (money): [~ + object]They have plowed a lot of money into this business.[~ + object + back]to plow our profits back into new equipment.[~ + back + object]to plow back our profits into new equipment.
to move along or proceed slowly and with great effort:[no object]I still have to plow through a pile of reports.
Agriculturean agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.
any of various implements resembling or suggesting this, as a kind of plane for cutting grooves or a contrivance for clearing away snow from a road or track.
Printing[Type Founding.](formerly) an instrument for cutting the groove in the foot of type.
Printing[Bookbinding.]a device for trimming the edges of the leaves by hand.
(cap.) [Astron.]
the constellation Ursa Major.
the Big Dipper.
v.t.
to turn up (soil) with a plow.
to make (a furrow) with a plow.
to tear up, cut into, or make a furrow, groove, etc. in (a surface) with or as if with a plow (often fol. by up):The tractor plowed up an acre of trees.
to clear by the use of a plow, esp. a snowplow (sometimes fol. by out):The city's work crews were busily plowing the streets after the blizzard.
Businessto invest, as capital (often fol. by into):to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.
Businessto reinvest or reutilize (usually fol. by back):to plow profits back into new plants and equipment.
(of a ship, boat, animal, etc.)
to cleave the surface of (the water):beavers plowing the pond.
to make (a way) or follow (a course) in this manner:The yacht plowed an easterly course through the choppy Atlantic.
Slang Terms(vulgar). to have sexual intercourse with.
v.i.
to till the soil or work with a plow.
to take plowing in a specified way:land that plows easily.
to move forcefully through something in the manner of a plow (often fol. by through, into, along, etc.):The cop plowed through the crowd, chasing after the thief. The car plowed into our house.
to proceed in a slow, laborious, and steady manner (often fol. by through):The researcher plowed through a pile of reports.
to move through water by cleaving the surface:a ship plowing through a turbulent sea.
plow under:
to bury under soil by plowing.
to cause to disappear* force out of existence; overwhelm:Many mom-and-pop groceries have been plowed under by the big chain stores.
Also,[esp. Brit.,]plough.
bef. 1100; Middle English plouh, plugh(e), plough(e), Old English plōh; cognate with German Pflug plow