Plough | { } n. [ OE. plouh, plou, AS. plōh; akin to D. ploeg, G. pflug, OHG. pfluog, pfluoh, Icel. plōgr, Sw. plog, Dan. ploug, plov, Russ. plug', Lith. plugas. ] 1. A well-known implement, drawn by horses, mules, oxen, or other power, for turning up the soil to prepare it for bearing crops; also used to furrow or break up the soil for other purposes; as, the subsoil plow; the draining plow. [ 1913 Webster ] Where fern succeeds ungrateful to the plow. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Fig.: Agriculture; husbandry. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. A carucate of land; a plowland. [ Obs. ] [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ] Johan, mine eldest son, shall have plowes five. Tale of Gamelyn. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. A joiner's plane for making grooves; a grooving plane. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. (Bookbinding) An implement for trimming or shaving off the edges of books. [ 1913 Webster ] 6. (Astron.) Same as Charles's Wain. [ 1913 Webster ] Ice plow, a plow used for cutting ice on rivers, ponds, etc., into cakes suitable for storing. [ U. S. ] -- Mackerel plow. See under Mackerel. -- Plow alms, a penny formerly paid by every plowland to the church. Cowell. -- Plow beam, that part of the frame of a plow to which the draught is applied. See Beam, n., 9. -- Plow Monday, the Monday after Twelth Day, or the end of Christmas holidays. -- Plow staff. (a) A kind of long-handled spade or paddle for cleaning the plowshare; a paddle staff. (b) A plow handle. -- Snow plow, a structure, usually Λ-shaped, for removing snow from sidewalks, railroads, etc., -- drawn or driven by a horse or a locomotive. [ 1913 Webster ] Variants: Plow |
Plough | { } v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Plowed r Ploughed; p. pr. & vb. n. Plowing or Ploughing. ] 1. To turn up, break up, or trench, with a plow; to till with, or as with, a plow; as, to plow the ground; to plow a field. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. To furrow; to make furrows, grooves, or ridges in; to run through, as in sailing. [ 1913 Webster ] Let patient Octavia plow thy visage up With her prepared nails. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] With speed we plow the watery way. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. (Bookbinding) To trim, or shave off the edges of, as a book or paper, with a plow. See Plow, n., 5. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. (Joinery) To cut a groove in, as in a plank, or the edge of a board; especially, a rectangular groove to receive the end of a shelf or tread, the edge of a panel, a tongue, etc. [ 1913 Webster ] To plow in, to cover by plowing; as, to plow in wheat. -- To plow up, to turn out of the ground by plowing. [ 1913 Webster ] Variants: Plow |