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sow 1 (sō)
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v. sowed, sown (sōn) or sowed, sow·ing, sows
v.tr.
1. To scatter (seed) over the ground for growing.
2. To scatter seed over (land, for example).
3. To strew something around or over (an area); distribute something over: "The yard was sown with cement sculpture" (Ashley Warlick).
4. To propagate; disseminate: sow rumors.
v.intr.
To scatter seed for growing.
Idiom:
sow (one's) oats/wild oats
To indulge in sexually promiscuous or dissolute behavior, especially as a young adult.

[Middle English sowen, from Old English sāwan; see sē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

sower n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
sow 2 (sou)
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n.
1.
a. An adult female pig, especially one that has had at least one litter.
b. The adult female of several other animals, such as the bear.
2.
a. A channel that conducts molten iron to the molds in a pig bed.
b. The mass of metal solidified in such a channel or mold.

[Middle English, from Old English sugu and Old English sū; see sū- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.