Dictionary

sow en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /saʊ/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sew-? Proto-Indo-European *sewH-? Proto-Indo-European *suH-der. Proto-Germanic *sugō Proto-West Germanic *sugu Old English sugu Middle English sowe English sow 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.

Meanings

1. A female animal ▸ A female pig.
2. A female animal ▸ A female bear; she-bear.
   • Lucky he wasn't a sow. They've usually just dropped a cub this time of year. A sow would have been cranky as hell. 1995, Dana Stabenow, Play with Fire, →ISBN, page 11:
3. A female animal ▸ A female guinea pig.
4. (derogatory, slang) A contemptible, often fat woman.
5. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of sowbug.
   alt of sowbug
6. A channel that conducts molten metal to molds.
7. A mass of metal solidified in a mold.
   • In England, it was generally termed a 'sow', if the weight was above 10 cwts., if below, it was termed a 'pig' from which the present term 'pig iron' is derived. 1957, H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry, page 160:
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.

Forms

Coordinates

boar

Deriveds

sowgelder · make a silk purse of a sow's ear · sow stall · sole · sowbelly · drunk as a sow · sowback · brood sow · sow thistle · bucksow · sowbane · niggersow · sowbread · sowfoot · drunk as David's sow · sowlike

Hypernyms

pig

Synonyms

cow · bitch · ingot

Translations (159)

fr truie (female pig) · yue 豬乸 /猪乸 (female pig) · scn scrofa (female pig) · ro poarcă (female pig) · sv göt (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · sv galt (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · ast gocha (female pig) · os дзӕргъӕ (female pig) · oc pòrca (female pig) · wym zaoj (female pig) · izh imikkosika (female pig) · pl maciora (female pig) · gl porca (female pig) · vec scrova (female pig) · cs prasnice (female pig) · osx sū (female pig) · dsb rampa (female pig) · vec porseƚa (female pig) · hy խոզամայր (female pig) · rup poarcã (female pig) · nb hunngris (female pig) · sc cópia (female pig) · mi poaka uwha (female pig) · eu ahardi (female pig) · inh жаргӏа (female pig) · nn hosvin (female pig) · eu arkela (female pig) · kk мегежін (female pig) · sh prasica (female pig) · nn purke (female pig) · br gwiz (female pig) · ce жаргӏа (female pig) · ca porca (female pig) · hu nőstény disznó. (female pig) · he חֲזִירָה (female pig) · fi valos (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · nn hogris (female pig) · my ဝက်မ (female pig) · vec roja (female pig) · et emis (female pig) · ko 암퇘지 (female pig) · sh крмача (female pig) · vec scroa (female pig) · ang sugu (female pig) · fa ماده خوک (female pig) · eu zerrama (female pig) · gl marrá (female pig) · io porkino (female pig) · hy գոճամայր (female pig) · gl golerpa (female pig) · uk льо́ха (female pig) · ru свинома́тка (female pig) · it lingotto (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · non sýr (female pig) · msn m̄al (female pig) · id babi betina (female pig) · rm portga (female pig) · kix yōhshùo (female pig) · ja 雌豚 (female pig) · bcl dulag (female pig) · ca verra (female pig) · sv gjut (channel that conducts molten metal to molds) · sv gjutså (channel that conducts molten metal to molds) · kix yōhnyù (female pig) · bbl ნეზვ (female pig) · cs bachyně (female pig) · egy r:*r-t-F27 (female pig) · nds Söög (female pig) · ba инә сусҡа (female pig) · uk свиня́ (female pig) · sk sviňa (female pig) · fo súgv (female pig) · it pane (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · de Mutterschwein (female pig) · oc truèja (female pig) · sv ingjutningskanal (channel that conducts molten metal to molds) · pt porca (female pig) · sv sugga (female pig) · ru свинья́ (female pig) · lt kiaulė (female pig) · it troia (female pig) · hy մերուն (female pig) · rif tireft (female pig) · nb hunnsvin (female pig) · scn porca (female pig) · bg свиня майка (female pig) · sv so (female pig) · el σκρόφα (female pig) · ro purcea (female pig) · pdt Säaj (female pig) · pl locha (female pig) · gur kurkur-yã'aŋa (female pig) · ca truja (female pig) · os дзӕргъ (female pig) · ka ნეზვი (female pig) · ms khinzir betina (female pig) · sv ingjut (channel that conducts molten metal to molds) · ga cráin (female pig) · eu urdanga (female pig) · izh emikko (female pig) · grc δέλφαξ (female pig) · vec vera (female pig) · si ඊරි (female pig) · el γουρούνα (female pig) · la porca (female pig) · sc màdri (female pig) · it panetto (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · eo porkino (female pig) · es puerca (female pig) · mk маторица (female pig) · scn troja (female pig) · fur scrove (female pig) · fi emakko (female pig) · udi нийал (female pig) · is sýr (female pig) · mk прасица (female pig) · nn purka (female pig) · sh krmača (female pig) · hu emse (female pig) · gl godalla (female pig) · nb sugge (female pig) · sh прасица (female pig) · nn sugge (female pig) · fi emäsika (female pig) · gl ferruxe (female pig) · ar خِنْزِيرَة (female pig) · de Sau (female pig) · it scrofa (female pig) · ru чушка (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · gmh sū (female pig) · nb purke (female pig) · sq dosë (female pig) · cmn 母豬 /母猪 (female pig) · goh sū (female pig) · vec mascia (female pig) · la scrōfa (female pig) · vo jisvin (female pig) · ka ქუბი (female pig) · sv tacka (mass of metal solidified in a mold) · hu koca (female pig) · svs baza (female pig) · vec lùgia (female pig) · es marrana (female pig) · chr ᏏᏆ ᎠᎩᏏ (female pig) · da so (female pig) · tl inahing baboy (female pig) · ro scroafă (female pig) · vec lùja (female pig) · cy cunar (female pig) · tk mekejin (female pig) · gl bodalla (female pig) · es cerda (female pig) · cs svině (female pig) · sc súe (female pig) · fi valukouru (channel that conducts molten metal to molds) · pa ਸੂਰਨੀ (female pig) · gl barrionda (female pig) · nl zeug (female pig) · cy cynar (female pig)

sow en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /səʊ/ (UK)
• /soʊ/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- Proto-Germanic *sēaną Proto-West Germanic *sāan Old English sāwan Middle English sowen English sow From Middle English sowen, from Old English sāwan, from Proto-West Germanic *sāan, from Proto-Germanic *sēaną, from Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-. Compare Dutch zaaien, German säen, Danish så, Norwegian Bokmål så.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To scatter, disperse, or plant (seeds).
   • When I had sown the field, the day's work was over.
2. (ambitransitive, figuratively) To spread abroad; to propagate.
   • Not surprisingly, it has sown doubt among other operators of diesel-hydraulics; […]. 1963 June, G. Freeman Allen, “The success of diesel-hydraulics on the German Federal Railway”, in Modern Railways, page 386:
   • as you sow, so shall you reap
   • Euen as I haue seene, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickednsse, reape the same. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 4:8:
   • And sow dissension in the hearts of brothers. 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 16:
3. (figuratively) To scatter over; to besprinkle.
   • [He] sowd with Starrs the heav'n. 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • The intellectual faculty is a goodly field, […] and it is the worst husbandry in the world to sow it with trifles. a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC:
4. (alt-of, obsolete) Obsolete spelling of sew.
   alt of sew

Forms

Deriveds

sown · sower · sow dragon's teeth · sow one's wild oats · reap what one sows · intersow · besow · sow the seeds of · resow · self-sown · sow one's oats · undersow · sow the wind, reap the whirlwind · unsowed · sow wild oats · as you sow, so shall you reap · sowable · oversow

Relateds

Sow · SOW

Translations (116)

sk siať (disperse seeds) · te విత్తు (disperse seeds) · mt żara’ (disperse seeds) · lv sēt (disperse seeds) · la serō (disperse seeds) · tr ekmek (disperse seeds) · grc σπείρω (disperse seeds) · lo ຫວ່ານ (disperse seeds) · hy ցանել (disperse seeds) · cu сѣти (disperse seeds) · eo semi (disperse seeds) · ota اكمك (disperse seeds) · got 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌽 (disperse seeds) · za vanq (disperse seeds) · ilo takong (disperse seeds) · yi זייען (disperse seeds) · gd sìol (disperse seeds) · rm semnar (disperse seeds) · om facaasuu (disperse seeds) · lb séien (disperse seeds) · sc semenai (disperse seeds) · ca sembrar (disperse seeds) · es sembrar (disperse seeds) · sl sejati (disperse seeds) · mk се́е (disperse seeds) · fr semer (disperse seeds) · io semar (disperse seeds) · ko 뿌리다 (disperse seeds) · mr पेरणे (disperse seeds) · sq mbjell (disperse seeds) · ba сәсеү (disperse seeds) · el σπέρνω (disperse seeds) · nrf s'maïr (disperse seeds) · la conserō (disperse seeds) · pa ਬੀਜਣਾ (disperse seeds) · sh се̏јати (disperse seeds) · ka თესვა (disperse seeds) · hu vet (disperse seeds) · ar زَرَعَ (disperse seeds) · zza karen (disperse seeds) · sh sȅjati (disperse seeds) · unm sehëmën (disperse seeds) · id tabur (disperse seeds) · it seminare (disperse seeds) · ko 심다 (disperse seeds) · sc semenare (disperse seeds) · ast sementar (disperse seeds) · fa پراگندن (disperse seeds) · rm samner (disperse seeds) · mdh pamula (disperse seeds) · be се́яць (disperse seeds) · ur بونا (disperse seeds) · ro semăna (disperse seeds) · gl sementar (disperse seeds) · sco sawe (disperse seeds) · ja 種をまく (disperse seeds) · rup seamin (disperse seeds) · br hadañ (disperse seeds) · fy siedzje (disperse seeds) · liv killõ (disperse seeds) · he זָרַע (disperse seeds) · bg се́я (disperse seeds) · mwl sembrar (disperse seeds) · txb kät- (disperse seeds) · az əkmək (disperse seeds) · de säen (disperse seeds) · cmn 播種 /播种 (disperse seeds) · ltg pasēt (disperse seeds) · pt semear (disperse seeds) · ln kona (disperse seeds) · ja 間隙を生じる (spread about, propagate) · ltg sēt (disperse seeds) · njo-jgl (Chungli) prok (disperse seeds) · zro achichanu (disperse seeds) · arz زرع (disperse seeds) · alt чачар (disperse seeds) · cs sít (disperse seeds) · ota تخملامق (disperse seeds) · mwl sumbrar (disperse seeds) · hi बोना (disperse seeds) · ga síol a chur (disperse seeds) · scn chiantimari (disperse seeds) · sc seminai (disperse seeds) · gu વાવવું (disperse seeds) · scn siminari (disperse seeds) · nrf s'mer (disperse seeds) · th หว่าน (disperse seeds) · es sementar (disperse seeds) · fa کشتن (disperse seeds) · az səpmək (disperse seeds) · lt sėti (disperse seeds) · mi rui (disperse seeds) · sah ыс (disperse seeds) · ang sāwan (disperse seeds) · fi kylvää (disperse seeds) · dsb seś (disperse seeds) · ga síolaigh (disperse seeds) · et külvama (disperse seeds) · no så (disperse seeds) · fur semenâ (disperse seeds) · shn ဝၢၼ်ႇ (disperse seeds) · ms semai (disperse seeds) · vi gieo (disperse seeds) · rm samnar (disperse seeds) · ar بَذَرَ (disperse seeds) · rsk шац (disperse seeds) · pl siać (disperse seeds) · ast semar (disperse seeds) · uk сі́яти (disperse seeds) · qu tarpuy (disperse seeds) · nl zaaien (disperse seeds) · ru се́ять (disperse seeds) · sv så (disperse seeds) · oc semenar (disperse seeds) · cy hadu (disperse seeds) · nrf s'menchi (disperse seeds)