plough

Meaning

Noun

1. A device pulled through the ground in order to break it open into furrows for planting.
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Any of several other tools or implements that cut and push material.
3. Any of several other tools or implements that cut and push material.
4. Any of several other tools or implements that cut and push material.
5. The use of a plough; tillage.
6. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of Plough (Synonym of Ursa Major)
7. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of ploughland, an alternative name for a carucate or hide.
8. A yoga pose resembling a traditional plough, halāsana.

Verb

1. (transitive) To use a plough on soil to prepare for planting.
2. (intransitive) To use a plough.
3. To move with force.
4. (colloquial, transitive) To knock over or run over (someone) without stopping.
5. To furrow; to make furrows, grooves, or ridges in.
6. To run through, as in sailing.
7. To trim, or shave off the edges of, as a book or paper, with a plough.
8. To cut a groove in, as in a plank, or the edge of a board; especially, a rectangular groove to receive the end of a shelf or tread, the edge of a panel, a tongue, etc.
9. (UK, transitive) To fail (a student).
10. (transitive, vulgar) To sexually penetrate, typically in a vigorous manner.

Synonyms

plow

till

cultivate

furrow

ploughshare

dig

plow

hoe

turn

fail

plough through

pluck

plunge

rabbet

rabbet plane

rummage

share

shoving

snowplough

snowplow

sow

spade

turn over

wagon

Charles’s Wain

vegetable plot

make furrows

ploughed land

badger plane

aura

groove-cutting chisel

groovine

matching plane badger plane

plow planer

box plane

bleu

break

break new ground

burrow

Great Bear

grind

grow

plant

🌱

ploughing

Translations

charrue

Pflug

aratro

labourer

arado

pflügen

ploegen

arar

ploeg

arare

arado

αλέτρι

arar

άροτρο

Pronounced as (IPA)

/plaʊ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: plouh

Inherited from Old English: plōh

Cognate with Scots: pleuch

Cognate with Northern Frisian: plog

Cognate with Western Frisian: ploech

Cognate with Low German: Ploog

Cognate with Dutch: ploeg

Cognate with Russian: плуг

Cognate with German: Pflug

Cognate with Danish: plov

Cognate with Swedish: -

Cognate with Norwegian: plog

Cognate with Icelandic: plógur

Cognate with Old English: sulh

In summary

From Middle English plouh, plow, plugh(e), plough(e), plouw, from Old English plōh (“hide of land, ploughland”) and Old Norse plógr (“plough (the implement)”), both from Proto-Germanic *plōgaz, *plōguz (“plough”). Cognate with Scots pleuch, plou, North Frisian plog, West Frisian ploech, Low German Ploog, Dutch ploeg, Russian плуг (plug), German Pflug, Danish plov, Swedish and Norwegian plog, Icelandic plógur. Replaced Old English sulh (“plough, furrow”); see sullow.