mow

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈmau̇ How to pronounce mow (audio)
Synonyms of mownext
1
: a piled-up stack (as of hay or fodder)
also : a pile of hay or grain in a barn
2
: the part of a barn where hay or straw is stored

mow

2 of 4

verb (1)

ˈmō How to pronounce mow (audio)
mowed; mowed or mown ˈmōn How to pronounce mow (audio) ; mowing

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut down with a scythe or sickle or machine
b
: to cut the standing herbage (such as grass) of
mow the lawn
2
a(1)
: to kill or destroy in great numbers or mercilessly
machine guns mowed down the enemy
(2)
: to cause to fall : knock down
b
: to overcome swiftly and decisively : rout
mowed down the opposing team

intransitive verb

: to cut down standing herbage (such as grass)
mower
ˈmō(-ə)r How to pronounce mow (audio)
noun

mow

3 of 4

noun (2)

ˈmau̇ How to pronounce mow (audio) ˈmō How to pronounce mow (audio)
: grimace

mow

4 of 4

verb (2)

ˈmau̇ How to pronounce mow (audio) ˈmō How to pronounce mow (audio)
mowed; mowing; mows

intransitive verb

: to make grimaces

Synonyms

Verb (1)

Noun (2)

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of mow in a Sentence

Verb (1) you really should mow the lawn before it gets much higher an afternoon spent mowing hay Noun (2) her mow suggested that she wasn't looking forward to a long evening of political speeches
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Julian mows through Pavlovich’s bodyguards with ruthless efficiency, finally making it to Pavlovich himself. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 24 Oct. 2024 Remove or mulch leaf litter and mow regularly until the grass goes into dormancy in late fall. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2024
Verb
Continue mowing your grass Our lawns have had a challenging growing season. —Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 Nov. 2024 Focus on mowing at the proper height, aerating as needed, and adding fertilizer to provide essential nutrients. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mow 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, heap, stack, from Old English mūga; akin to Old Norse mūgi heap

Verb (1)

Middle English mowen, going back to Old English māwan (past participle māwen), going back to West Germanic *mēan- (whence, with a differing hiatus consonant, Old Frisian miā, miān "to mow," Middle Dutch maeyen, Old High German *māen), going back to an Indo-European verbal base *h2meh1- "reap, mow," whence also Greek amáō, amân "to reap, cut" (perhaps from *h2mh1-eh2-)

Note: Old English māwan is a Class VII strong verb (like cnāwan know entry 1, blāwan blow entry 1), though a weak verb in later Middle and Modern English and in other Germanic languages. The element *-eh1- in *h2meh1- has been treated as a suffix, with a parallel derivative *h2m-et- yielding Italo-Celtic *met-, in Latin metō, metere "to reap, harvest, cut off," Welsh medaf, medi "to reap," Middle Breton midiff, Breton mediñ, Middle Irish meithel "reaping party," Welsh medel. Hittite hamešha(nt)- "spring, harvest time" has also been connected with *h2meh1-, though with some dispute. Cf. aftermath, meadow.

Noun (2)

Middle English mowe, from Anglo-French mouwe, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch mouwe protruding lip

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mow was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing mow

Dictionary Entries Near mow

Moviola

mow

Mowat

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Mow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mow. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

mow

1 of 2 noun
ˈmau̇ How to pronounce mow (audio)
1
: a stack of hay or straw
2
: the part of a barn where hay or straw is stored

mow

2 of 2 verb
ˈmō How to pronounce mow (audio)
mowed; mowed or mown ˈmōn How to pronounce mow (audio) ; mowing
1
: to cut down with a scythe or machine
mow hay
2
: to cut the standing leafy plant cover from
mow a lawn
3
: to kill or destroy in great numbers
4
: to overcome completely
mow down the other team
mower
ˈmō(-ə)r How to pronounce mow (audio)
noun
Etymology

Noun

Old English mūga "heap, stack"

Verb

Old English māwan "to mow (as hay)"

More from Merriam-Webster on mow

Nglish: Translation of mow for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of mow for Arabic Speakers

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