SOW'-THISTLE, noun A plant of the genus Sonchus. The downy sow-thistle is of the genus Andryala. SOW, verb transitive preterit tense sowed; participle passive sowed or sown. [Latin sevi. This word is probably contracted.] 1. To scatter on ground, for the purpose growth and the production of a crop; as, to sow good seed; to sow a bushel of wheat or rye to the acre; to sow oats, clover or barley; to sow seed in drills, or to sow it broad cast. Oats and flax should be sown early in the spring. 2. To scatter seed over for growth; as, to sow ground or land; to sow ten or a hundred acres in a year. 3. To spread or to originate; to propagate; as, to sow discord. Born to afflict my Marcia's family, and sow dissension in the hearts of brothers. 4. To supply or stock with seed. The intellectual faculty is a goodly field, and it is the worst husbandry in the world to sow it with trifles. 5. To scatter over; to besprinkle. He sow'd with stars the heaven. Morn now sow'd the earth with orient pearl. SOW, verb intransitive To scatter seed for growth and the production of a crop. In New England, farmers begin to sow in April. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. Psalms 126:1. SOW, for sew, is not in use. [See Sew.]
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI