sow

Meaning

Noun

1. A female pig.
2. A female bear, she-bear.
3. A female guinea pig.
4. A channel that conducts molten metal to molds.
5. A mass of metal solidified in a mold.
6. (derogatory, slang) A contemptible, often fat woman.
7. A sowbug.
8. A kind of covered shed, formerly used by besiegers in filling up and passing the ditch of a besieged place, sapping and mining the wall, etc.

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) To scatter, disperse, or plant (seeds).
2. (figuratively) To spread abroad; to propagate. (usu. negative connotation)
3. (figuratively) To scatter over; to besprinkle.
4. (alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete spelling of sew.

Synonyms

plant

🌱

scatter

seed

female pig

spread

sprinkle

pig

🐖

disseminate

strew

cultivate

throw

scatter seeds

sow seeds

inseminate

spread out

swine

disperse

hog

sow in

pepper

salamander

separate

sough

broadcast

propagate

termite

transplant

white ant

pour down

scatter about

culture

spread around

culture germs

scatter the seed

iron runner

hearth accretion

wall accretion

sow broadcast

boar

🐗

furnace accretion

bury

cast

cast aside

divide

drop

garden

grow

implant

make known

oaf

Translations

semer

sembrar

🌱

truie

seminare

säen

Sau

cerda

zaaien

zeug

semear

scrofa

puerca

cochina

troia

porca

Pronounced as (IPA)

/saʊ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sowe

Inherited from Old English: sugu

Cognate with Western Frisian: sûch

Cognate with Dutch: zeug

Cognate with Low German: Söög

Cognate with German: Sau

Cognate with Swedish: sugga

Cognate with Norwegian: sugge

Cognate with Welsh: hwch

Cognate with Sanskrit: सूकर

Cognate with Latin: sūs

Cognate with Tokharian B: suwo

Cognate with Ancient Greek: ὗς

Cognate with Albanian: thi

Cognate with Avestan: 𐬵𐬏

Inherited from Middle English: sowen

Inherited from Old English: sāwan

Cognate with Dutch: zaaien

Cognate with German: säen

Cognate with Danish: så

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: så

In summary

From Middle English sowe, from Old English sugu, from Proto-West Germanic *sugu, from Proto-Germanic *sugō, probably from Proto-Indo-European *su(H)kéh₂, from *suH- (“pig”).
See also West Frisian sûch, Dutch zeug, Low German Söög, German Sau, Swedish sugga, Norwegian sugge; also Welsh hwch (“pig”), Sanskrit सूकर (sūkará, “swine, boar”); also Danish so, German Sau, Latin sūs, Tocharian B suwo, Ancient Greek ὗς (hûs), Albanian thi, Avestan 𐬵𐬏 (hū, “boar”). See also swine. Doublet of soor.