plowing

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

plow /plaʊ/   n. [countable]

1. Agriculture a large tool used in farming for cutting, lifting, turning over, and breaking up soil.
2. a tool resembling this, as a large shovel used to clear away snow from a road or track.

v. 

3. to turn up (soil) with a plow: [~ + object]
   to plow the heavy soil.
   [no object]
   Is it too early to plow for spring crops?
4. to turn up the soil of (an area) with a plow:
   plowed forty acres yesterday.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Business to 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.
8. to move along or proceed slowly and with great effort:
   [no object] I still have to plow through a pile of reports.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

plow  (plou), n. 

1. Agriculture an agricultural implement used for cutting, lifting, turning over, and partly pulverizing soil.
2. 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.
3. Printing [Type Founding.] (formerly) an instrument for cutting the groove in the foot of type.
4. Printing [Bookbinding.] a device for trimming the edges of the leaves by hand.
5. (cap.) [Astron.]
   • the constellation Ursa Major.
   • the Big Dipper.

v.t. 

6. to turn up (soil) with a plow.
7. to make (a furrow) with a plow.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Business to invest, as capital (often fol. by into):
    to plow several hundred million into developing new oil fields.
11. Business to reinvest or reutilize (usually fol. by back):
    to plow profits back into new plants and equipment.
12. (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.
13. Slang Terms (vulgar). to have sexual intercourse with.

v.i. 

14. to till the soil or work with a plow.
15. to take plowing in a specified way:
    land that plows easily.
16. 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.
17. to proceed in a slow, laborious, and steady manner (often fol. by through):
    The researcher plowed through a pile of reports.
18. to move through water by cleaving the surface:
    a ship plowing through a turbulent sea.
19. 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

plow′a•ble, adj. 
plow′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
plow′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

plow / plaʊ/ noun , verb

1. the usual US spelling of plough