sow

v., sowed, sown (sōn), or sowed, sow·ing, sows.

v.tr.

1. To scatter (seed) over the ground for growing.
2. To spread (land, for example) with seed.
3. To strew something around or over (an area); distribute something over.
4. To propagate; disseminate: sow rumors.

v.intr.
To scatter seed for growing.

idiom:

sow (one's) oats (or wild oats)

1. To indulge in dissolute or licentious behavior, especially to be sexually promiscuous, when young. Usually used of men.

[Middle English sowen, from Old English sāwan.]

sower sow'er n.

sow² (sou)
n.

1. 1. An adult female hog.
   2. The adult female of several other animals, such as the bear.
2. 1. A channel that conducts molten iron to the molds in a pig bed.
   2. The mass of metal solidified in such a channel or mold.

[Middle English, from Old English sugu and Old English sū.]

verb

To put (seeds) into the ground for growth: plant, seed. See start/end.

In addition to the idiom beginning with sow, also see can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

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v

Definition: plant
Antonyms: dig, harvest, reap

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[sō]

v. past sowed sōd; past part. sown sōn or sowed lay or plant (an explosive mine) or cover (territory) with mines: the field had both British and German mines sown in it.

sow the seeds or seed of do something that will eventually bring about (a particular result, especially a disastrous one):

the seeds of dissension had been sown.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

A female pig that has had a litter.

• s. mouth — the maxilla is foreshortened and the lower jaw protrudes beyond it.
• s. stall — a farrowing stall with limited room for movement but maximum protection for the suckers.
• s. thistles — sonchus.
• non-productive s. days — the sow is neither lactating nor gestating. Used as a herd measure of management during the period between weaning of the sow and successful mating.

IN BRIEF: A female pig. Also: To plant seeds.

Good resolutions are a pleasant crop to sow. — Mary St. Leger Kingsley (1852-1931).

Tutor's tip: Sow, a female pig, is pronounced as rhyming with cow. Sow, as in planting of seeds, has a long o sound.

Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. tr. - så, udså, tilså
v. intr. - så

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    lægge grundlaget for, så frøene til

2.
n. - so

Nederlands (Dutch)
zaaien, be-/in-/ uitzaaien, zeug, genereren

Français (French)
1.
v. tr. - ensemencer, semer, faire germer, (fig) semer
v. intr. - ensemencer, semer, faire germer

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    (fig) faire germer dans (l'esprit)

2.
n. - (Zool) truie

Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - säen, besäen

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    säen

2.
n. - Sau, Massel

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - σπείρω, σπέρνω, ενσπείρω, φυτεύω, (μτφ.) διασπείρω
n. - (ζωολ.) γουρούνα, (καθομ.) χελώνα (πλίνθωμα) μετάλλου

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    σπείρω (π.χ. διχόνοια)

Italiano (Italian)
seminare, scrofa

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    gettare il seme di

Português (Portuguese)
v. - plantar, semear, disseminar, implantar
n. - porca (f) (ani.)

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    semear sementes de

Русский (Russian)
свинья, свиноматка, сеять, распространять, усеивать

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    сеять семена (раздора и т.п.)

Español (Spanish)
1.
v. tr. - sembrar
v. intr. - esparcir, desparramar

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    sembrar las semillas de, implantar una idea

2.
n. - cerda, puerca, marran

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - så, beså
n. - sugga, galt, ingjutningskanal

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 播, 散布, 传播, 播种于, 使密布, 播种

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    播下...的种子

2. 大母猪

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. tr. - 播, 散佈, 傳播, 播種於, 使密布
v. intr. - 播種

idioms:

• sow the seeds of    播下...的種子

2.
n. - 大母豬

한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. tr. - (씨를) 뿌리다, 퍼뜨리다, ~을 점점이 박다
v. intr. - 씨를 뿌리다

2.
n. - (성숙한) 암퇘지, 쥐며느리, 큰 주형

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 種をまく, …にまく, 広める, 原因を作る, 撒く, 植え付ける, 撒き散らす
n. - 雌豚

idioms:

• sow one's wild oats    若気の放蕩をする
• sow the seeds of    種をまく

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يزرع, يبذر ألحب (الاسم) قناة ألسبك, أنثى ألخنزير‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮זרע, פיזר, הפיץ, עורר, פתח ב-, כיסה ב-‬
v. intr. - ‮זרע‬
n. - ‮חזירה בוגרת, נקבה של כמה בעלי-חיים אחרים, גוש ברזל‬

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