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Added 9 October 2026

sow

/saʊ/ noun

In Latin: scrōfa, porca Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An adult female hog.

verb

Place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth.
She sowed sunflower seeds
Introduce into an environment.
sow suspicion or beliefs
Place seeds in or on (the ground).
sow the ground with sunflower seeds

Origin

From Middle English sowe, from Old English sugu, from Proto-West Germanic *sugu, from Proto-Germanic *sugō, probably from Proto-Indo-European *su(H)kéh₂, from *suH- (“pig”). See also West Frisian sûch, Dutch zeug, Low German Söög, German Sau, Swedish sugga, Norwegian sugge; also Welsh hwch (“pig”), Sanskrit सूकर (sūkará, “swine, boar”); also Danish so, German Sau, Latin sūs, Tocharian B suwo, Ancient Greek ὗς (hûs), Albanian thi, Avestan 𐬵𐬏 (hū, “boar”). See also swine. Doublet of soor.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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