plow
UK[plaʊ]US[plaʊ]
n
A large farming tool with a heavy blade, used for cutting and turning over soil.
v
To turn over soil with a plow.
v
To move forward through something with force and difficulty, like a vehicle moving through snow.
Etymology
The word "plow" originates from the Old English "plōh," which referred to a unit of land as well as the implement used to till it. This term is of Germanic origin, related to Dutch "ploeg" and German "Pflug," and is traced back to a hypothetical Proto-Germanic root "plōg-," "plōgaz." While its ultimate pre-Germanic origins are obscure, the core concept has remained remarkably stable for over a millennium. The semantic journey connects the fundamental agricultural tool directly to its ancient name, with the verb meaning naturally extending from the action performed by the noun.
Analysis
The modern English spelling "plow" (also "plough") is a simplex word derived from a single, indivisible Old English root.
Examples
The farmer hitched the plow to his tractor before dawn.
We need to plow the north field before planting the winter wheat.
The ship plowed through the heavy waves of the Atlantic storm.