sow
Noun:
- An adult female pig: A fully grown female swine, especially one that has given birth.
Verb:
- To plant seeds in the ground: To place seeds in or on soil so they will grow.
- To introduce or spread something intangible: To cause feelings, ideas, or qualities to begin or spread among people.
Noun:
- The farmer kept a sow and her piglets in the pen.
- A sow can have a large litter of piglets.
Verb (meaning: to plant seeds):
- Farmers sow wheat in the autumn.
- She sowed the flower seeds carefully in neat rows.
Verb (meaning: to introduce/spread):
- His speech sowed doubt among the voters.
- Rumors were sown to create confusion.
"To sow the seeds of...": To be the cause of a future situation, especially a negative one.
- His harsh criticism sowed the seeds of rebellion in the team.
- The policy sowed the seeds of economic trouble for years to come.
"As drunk as a sow" (Idiom, old-fashioned): To be extremely drunk.
- After the party, he was as drunk as a sow.
- Sower (n): A person who sows seeds.
- The sower walked across the field, scattering grain.
- Sown (v): The past participle of the verb 'sow'.
- The fields have been sown with barley.
- Verb (plant): Plant, scatter, seed, broadcast.
- Verb (spread): Instill, implant, spread, disseminate, foster.
(Note: 'Sow' is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. Its meanings are typically expressed directly or with prepositions like 'with'.) - Sow with: To plant a crop or seed in a particular area. - They sowed the entire field with corn.
"You reap what you sow": Your actions, good or bad, will eventually have consequences for you. (Often shortened from "As you sow, so shall you reap").
- If you are unkind to people, don't be surprised if they are unkind to you. You reap what you sow.
"Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind": To start a process that leads to severe, uncontrollable consequences.
- By ignoring the scientists' warnings, the government sowed the wind and is now reaping the whirlwind of climate disasters.
"To get/take the wrong sow by the ear" (Archaic): To misunderstand something completely; to be mistaken.
- I think you've got the wrong sow by the ear; I never said that.
- an adult female hog
- place seeds in or on (the ground)
- sow the ground with sunflower seeds
- introduce into an environment
- sow suspicion or beliefs
- place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth
- She sowed sunflower seeds