# sow

Pronunciation: say "SOH" US /soʊ/, UK /səʊ/

## Verb

1. To scatter or plant seeds over an area, or to scatter other things over a surface in the same way.
   - Simple: To spread seeds over the ground or put them in it, or to scatter other things the same way.
   - _Most growers sow directly into the beds once the soil has warmed._
   - _By the end of the week, he had sown the whole north field with winter wheat._
2. To spread something widely among people or cause it to take hold, usually something unwelcome such as doubt or dissension.
   - Simple: To spread something among people, usually something bad like doubt or arguments.
   - _Anonymous posts began to sow confusion among voters days before the election._
   - _The rumors had sown distrust between the two departments long before the merger fell apart._

## Noun

Pronunciation: say "SOW" /saʊ/

3. An adult female pig, or the female of certain other animals, such as a bear or guinea pig.
   - Simple: A grown female pig, or the female of some other animals like bears and guinea pigs.
   - _The sow farrowed eleven piglets overnight, and every one of them survived._
   - _Breeding sows are moved into separate pens a few days before they give birth._
4. A woman regarded as contemptible, often one who is fat; used as a crude insult. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A very rude name for a woman that someone looks down on, often a fat woman.
   - _In the novel, the cruel landlord sneers at his tenant and calls her a greedy sow._
   - _'That sow next door has complained about our dog again,' he muttered._

## Other meanings

- (verb) Obsolete spelling of sew: to fasten or join material with stitches made by a needle and thread.
- (noun) A sowbug, a small land crustacean that lives in damp places.
- (proper noun) A family name.
- (noun) A mass of metal, such as iron, that has solidified in a mold.
- (noun) A channel that carries molten metal to the molds where it is cast.
- (noun) A covered shed formerly used by besiegers while they filled in and crossed the ditch around a place under siege, dug toward or beneath its walls, and did similar work.

## Origin

**Meanings 3–4** — Proto-Indo-European *su(H)kéh₂, built on *suH- ("pig"), is the probable source of Proto-Germanic *sugō and Proto-West Germanic *sugu. These led to Old English sugu and Middle English sowe. Relatives include English swine, Dutch zeug, German Sau, Swedish sugga, Sanskrit sūkará ("swine, boar"), Welsh hwch ("pig"), Latin sūs, and Ancient Greek hûs. Soor is a doublet.
**Meanings 1–2** — Proto-Indo-European *seh₁- is the source of Proto-Germanic *sēaną and Proto-West Germanic *sāan, which became Old English sāwan and Middle English sowen. Dutch zaaien, German säen, and Danish and Norwegian Bokmål så are related.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/sow (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).