plough-land

A farmer surveys his plough-land at the end of the day.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Arable land: "plough-land" refers to land that is suitable for being ploughed and cultivated for crops.
   • Historical measure: In historical English custom, "plough-land" denoted a unit of land area, specifically the amount of land that could be ploughed in a year by a team of eight oxen (approximately 120 acres or 48.6 hectares).

Usage Examples

• (The land was ready for ploughing and sowing.)
• (A historical measure of land productivity.)

Advanced Usage

• "to break plough-land": to initiate ploughing on previously uncultivated land.

  • The settlers broke the wild plough-land to create new fields. (They ploughed virgin soil for the first time.)

• "plough-land tax": a historical tax levied based on the amount of arable land owned.

  • The king imposed a plough-land tax to fund his military campaigns. (A tax on agricultural land.)

Variants and Related Words

• Plough (n/v): a farming tool used for turning soil; the verb meaning to turn soil with a plough.

  • He used a modern plough to prepare the land. (The tool itself.)

• Ploughman (n): a person who operates a plough.

  • The ploughman worked from dawn to dusk. (The worker.)

• Ploughshare (n): the cutting blade of a plough.

  • The ploughshare was sharpened before use. (The blade component.)

Synonyms

• Arable land: land capable of being ploughed and used for growing crops.
• Cultivated land: land that has been prepared and used for agriculture.
• Tillage: the process of preparing land for growing crops; also refers to the land itself.

Related Idioms

• Put one's hand to the plough: to begin a task or undertake a responsibility.

  • Once he put his hand to the plough, he never gave up. (He committed to the work.)

• Plough a lonely furrow: to act or work alone without support.

  • She ploughed a lonely furrow in her research. (She worked independently.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Plough into: to crash into something with force; also, to invest heavily in something.

  • The car ploughed into the fence. (Collided violently.)
  • He ploughed all his savings into the business. (Invested heavily.)

• Plough through: to proceed with difficulty or to consume something (e.g., food or reading material) laboriously.

  • She ploughed through the dense textbook. (Read with effort.)