mow

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US verb /moʊ/ noun /maʊ/ UK verb /məʊ/ noun /maʊ/ See IPA manual

Homophones

mot /moʊ/

Freq #15064

Meanings

1

verb
to cut grass or a standing crop with a machine or bladed tool

US /moʊ/ UK /məʊ/

They mow the meadow only after the wildflowers have seeded.
2

verb
to cut down or kill people or things in large numbers, often with sweeping force

US /moʊ/ UK /məʊ/

The gunfire threatened to mow down anyone crossing the square.
3

noun
a stack of hay or a loft or part of a barn where hay is stored

US /maʊ/ UK /maʊ/

The children hid in the mow above the stable.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with mow

mow down Phrasal verb C1

to kill or strike down many people indiscriminately

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to cut grass or a standing... cut reap scythe

2 verb · to cut down or kill people... cut downfell slaughter

3 noun · a stack of hay or a loft or... haylofthaystack

Opposites

grow plant

Word family

Forms mowedmowermowingunmown

Derived forms mowermowablemownunmowed

Related forms meadow hay scythe lawn

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mow down
to kill or strike down many people indiscriminately

Verb + adverb

Etymology

The verb descends from Old English mawan ("to mow, reap"), from a Germanic root with cognates in Dutch maaien and German mahen. The noun mow, pronounced to rhyme with cow, is historically separate and denotes a stack or storage place for hay.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# mow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /moʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /məʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 15064

## Meanings
1. to cut grass or a standing crop with a machine or bladed tool
2. to cut down or kill people or things in large numbers, often with sweeping force
3. a stack of hay or a loft or part of a barn where hay is stored

## Examples
- They mow the meadow only after the wildflowers have seeded.
- The gunfire threatened to mow down anyone crossing the square.
- The children hid in the mow above the stable.

## Synonyms
- cut
- reap
- scythe
- cut down

## Antonyms
- grow
- plant

## Derived Forms
- mower
- mowable
- mown
- unmowed

## Related Forms
- meadow
- hay
- scythe
- lawn

## Etymology
The verb descends from Old English mawan ("to mow, reap"), from a Germanic root with cognates in Dutch maaien and German mahen. The noun mow, pronounced to rhyme with cow, is historically separate and denotes a stack or storage place for hay.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown

mow