sow1
verb /səʊ/
/səʊ/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they sow | /səʊ/ /səʊ/ |
| he / she / it sows | /səʊz/ /səʊz/ |
| past simple sowed | /səʊd/ /səʊd/ |
| past participle sown | /səʊn/ /səʊn/ |
| past participle sowed | /səʊd/ /səʊd/ |
| -ing form sowing | /ˈsəʊɪŋ/ /ˈsəʊɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to plant or spread seeds in or on the ground
- sow (something) Sow the seeds in rows.
- Sow the seeds quite thinly.
- Water well after sowing.
- Sow rows of lettuces between other vegetables.
- sow something with something The fields around had been sown with wheat.
- We’ve sown that field with wheat.
Homophones sew | so | sowsew so sow/səʊ//səʊ/- sew verb
- You should sew that hole up before it gets any bigger.
- so adverb
- It is unsurprising that the Beatles were so successful.
- sow verb
- Why would farmers want to sow GM seeds?
Collocations FarmingFarmingGrowing food and raising animalsTopics Farmingc2, Gardensc2- plant trees/seeds/crops/vines/barley
- grow/produce corn/wheat/rice/fruit
- plough/(North American English) plow land/a field
- sow/harvest seeds/crops/fields
- spread manure/fertilizer on something
- cultivate/irrigate/water/contaminate crops/plants/fields/land
- damage/destroy/lose your crop
- ripen/pick fruit/berries/grapes
- press/dry/ferment grapes
- grind/thresh grain/corn/wheat
- raise/rear/keep chickens/poultry/cattle/pigs
- raise/breed/feed/graze livestock/cattle/sheep
- kill/slaughter livestock
- preserve/smoke/cure/salt meat
- run a fish farm/an organic dairy farm
- engage in/be involved in intensive (pig/fish) farming
- use/apply (chemical/organic) fertilizer/insecticides/pesticides
- begin/do/conduct field trials of GM (= genetically modified) crops
- grow/develop GM crops/seeds/plants/foods
- fund/invest in genetic engineering/research
- improve/increase crop yields
- face/suffer from/alleviate food shortages
- label food that contains GMOs (= genetically modified organisms)
- eliminate/reduce farm subsidies
- oppose/be against factory farming/GM food
- promote/encourage/support organic/sustainable farming
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- early
- thinly
- with
- [transitive] sow something (in something) to introduce or spread feelings or ideas, especially ones that cause trouble
- to sow doubt in somebody’s mind
- to sow confusion
Word OriginOld English sāwan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zaaien and German säen.
Idioms
sow the seeds of something
- to start the process that leads to a particular situation or result
- In this way he sowed the seeds of his own success.
sow (your) wild oats
- (of young men) to go through a period of wild behaviour while young, especially having a lot of romantic or sexual relationships
- He wants to leave home, sow his wild oats and learn about life.
you reap what you sow
- (saying) you have to deal with the bad effects or results of something that you originally started