mowmow /məʊ $ moʊ/ verb (past tense mowed, past participle mown or mowed /məʊn $ moʊn/) [intransitive, transitive] 
It’s time to mow the lawn again.► see thesaurus at cut2new-mown hay/grass etc recently cut grass etcmow somebody ↔ down phrasal verb informal1to kill large numbers of people at the same time, especially by shooting them: The soldiers were mown down by machine-gun fire.2to kill someone by driving into them fast: He was sentenced to two years in prison for mowing down a nine-year old girl.
WORD ORIGINmow
Origin:
Old English mawanVERB TABLE
mow
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | mow |
| he, she, it | mows | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | mowed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have mowed, mown |
| he, she, it | has mowed, mown | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had mowed, mown |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will mow |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have mowed, mown |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am mowing |
| he, she, it | is mowing | |
| you, we, they | are mowing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was mowing |
| you, we, they | were mowing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been mowing |
| he, she, it | has been mowing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been mowing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be mowing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been mowing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- It took me two hours to mow the lawn.
- The boy next door mows the lawn for us.
- Are they coming to mow the lawn or to liberate the hostages with rakes, clippers and blowers?
- How often do you mow the tundra?
- I threw myself into the mowing, weeding, pruning, planting, cultivating as only a beginner can.
- If a moon show a silver shield, Be not afraid to mow the field.
- No, she got pissed when he was mowing the lawn.
- That night an army of street-cleaning machines invades Ninth Avenue from the north, mowing down anything in their paths.
- Use your pistol to dispense with individual guards or your machine gun to mow down a line of enemies.
- Why would you not be afraid to mow the field?
THESAURUS
to divide something into two or more pieces, especially using a knife or scissors: · Do you want me to cut the cake?· He cut off the lower branches.
to quickly cut something, especially using scissors: · I snipped the label off.· The hairdresser snipped away at her hair.
to make a long narrow cut through something, especially using a knife: · He slit the envelope open with a penknife.· She slit through the plastic covering.
to cut something quickly and violently with a knife, making a long thin cut: · Someone had slashed the tyres on his car.· He tried to slash his wrists.
to cut wood, using a saw (=a tool with a row of sharp points): · Saw the wood to the correct length.
to cut wood, vegetables, or meat into pieces: · Bill was outside chopping up firewood with an axe.· They chopped down the old tree.· finely chopped onion
to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin pieces: · I’ll slice the cucumber.· Slice the bread thinly.
to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: · First dice the apple into cubes.
to cut cheese or a hard vegetable by rubbing it against a special tool: · Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the vegetables.
to cut the outside part off something such as a potato or apple: · I peeled the potatoes and put them in a saucepan.
to cut thin pieces from a large piece of meat: · Uncle Ray carved the turkey.
to cut the grass in a garden, park etc: · A gardener was mowing the lawn.
(also clip) to cut a small amount off something, especially to make it look neater: · He was trimming his beard.· Trim the excess fat off the meat.
Longman Language Activatorto cut wood, plants, or grass to make trees or bushes fall down by cutting them: cut/chop something down: · The tree was blocking the view from our window, and we asked a neighbour to chop it down.cut/chop down something: · Cutting down vast areas of the rainforests has created serious ecological problems.
to cut down trees, especially a large number of them, using special equipment: · 63 percent of trees felled in Guatemala are used for fuel.· More trees are being felled annually now than ever before.
to cut wood into pieces using an axe (=a tool with a long handle and a sharp blade): · Ivan spent the day chopping wood and sawing logs.chop something up/chop up something: · I chopped up the old fence and used it for firewood.
to cut grass or cut off leaves, in order to make a place or plant look tidy: · She had to stand on a ladder to cut the top of the hedge.cut the lawn/grass: · My dad used to cut the grass every Sunday morning.
to cut grass using a special machine, in order to make it look tidy: mow the lawn/the grass: · It took me two hours to mow the lawn.
to cut wood using a saw (=sharp tool that you push backwards and forwards across the surface of the wood): · We had to saw the wood to the right length, and then nail the pieces together.saw something up/saw up something (=into several pieces): · It took all morning to saw up the logs.
to cut off some of the branches of a tree or bush to make it grow better: · Miniature roses do not need much pruning and are ideal for planting in pots. · What's the best time of the year for pruning apple trees?
to cut small amounts off something, especially a bush, in order to make it have a neat shape or surface: · Do you think the hedge needs trimming?
to cut trees, plants etc by hitting them with a heavy knife or other sharp tool using short violent movements: hack at: · Robert was hacking at the base of the tree with an axe.hack your way through/hack a path through (=make a path by cutting down plants and trees): · They managed to hack their way through the jungle.
WORD SETSallotment, nounannual, nounarbour, nounaspidistra, nounbackyard, nounbarrow, nounbed, nounbillhook, nounbirdbath, nounblackcurrant, nounbloom, nounbloom, verbblossom, nounblossom, verbbonemeal, nounborder, nounbush, nounbusy Lizzie, nouncamellia, nouncane, nouncarnation, nounchrysanthemum, nounclematis, nounclimber, nouncloche, nouncompost, nouncompost, verbconifer, nounconservatory, nouncornflower, nouncrazy paving, nouncultivate, verbcultivation, nouncutting, noundaffodil, noundahlia, nounedge, verbfertilizer, nounfish meal, nounflower, verbflowerbed, nounflowerpot, nounfoliage, nounforget-me-not, nounfork, nounfork, verbfoxglove, nounframe, noungarden, noungarden, verbgarden centre, noungardener, noungardenia, noungazebo, noungeranium, noungerminate, verbgladiolus, nounglasshouse, noungnome, noungraft, noungraft, verbgrass, noungreenfly, noungreenhouse, noungrowbag, nounGrowbag, nounhardware, nounhardy, adjectivehardy perennial, nounheavy, adjectivehedge, nounheliotrope, nounherbaceous border, nounherbicide, nounhibiscus, nounhoe, nounholly, nounhollyhock, nounhoneysuckle, nounhorticulture, nounhose, nounhosepipe, nounhothouse, nounhouseplant, nounhumus, nounhyacinth, nouninsecticide, nouniris, nounivy, nounjasmine, nounkitchen garden, nounlandscape, verblandscape architect, nounlandscape gardening, nounlawn, nounlawn mower, nounlift, verblilac, nounlily of the valley, nounlop, verblush, adjectivemanicured, adjectivemanure, nounmorning glory, nounmow, verbmower, nounmuck, nounmulch, nounmulch, verbnarcissus, nounnursery, nounnurseryman, nounorangery, nounorganic, adjectiveovergrown, adjectiveox-eye, nounpack, verbparterre, nounpatch, nounpeat, nounpeony, nounpergola, nounpesticide, nounpetunia, nounphlox, nounpink, nounplant, verbplanter, nounplot, nounpoinsettia, nounpot, nounpot, verbpot plant, nounpotted, adjectivepotting shed, nounpropagate, verbpropagator, nounprune, verbrake, nounrake, verbrank, adjectiverockery, nounrock garden, nounrose, nounscion, nounsecateurs, nounseed, verbseedbed, nounset, nounshears, nounsickle, nounsnapdragon, nounsod, nounsoil, nounsow, verbspade, nounsprinkler, nounsweet pea, nounsweet william, nountopdressing, nountopiary, nountrain, verbtransplant, verbtrellis, nountrimmer, nountrowel, nounturf, nounturf, verbuproot, verbvegetable, nounwater butt, nounwatering can, nounweed, verbweedkiller, nounweedy, adjectivewheelbarrow, nounwindow box, nounwisteria, nounyard, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It’s time to mow the lawn again.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I spent all morning mowing the lawn (=cutting the grass).COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
1to cut grass using a machine: It’s time to mow the lawn again. (=cut it with a special machine)· I usually mow the grass once a week.
I spent all morning mowing the lawn (=cutting the grass).· Use your pistol to dispense with individual guards or your machine gun to mow down a line of enemies.· That night an army of street-cleaning machines invades Ninth Avenue from the north, mowing down anything in their paths.
It’s time to mow the lawn again.► see thesaurus at cut2new-mown hay/grass etc recently cut grass etcmow somebody ↔ down phrasal verb informal1to kill large numbers of people at the same time, especially by shooting them: The soldiers were mown down by machine-gun fire.2to kill someone by driving into them fast: He was sentenced to two years in prison for mowing down a nine-year old girl.