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sow¹

(sō)

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.]

sower n.

sow²

(sou)

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.

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.]

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.

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