In agriculture, an instrument for turning up, breaking and preparing the ground for receiving the seed. It is drawn by oxen or horses and saves the labor of digging; it is therefore the most useful instrument in agriculture. The emperor lays hold of the plow and turns up several furrows. When fern succeeds, ungrateful to the plow.

Figuratively, tillage; culture of the earth; agriculture.

A joiner’s instrument for grooving.

To trench and turn up with a plow; as, to plow the ground for wheat; to plow it into ridges.

To furrow; to divide; to run through in sailing. With speed we plow the watery wave.

To tear; to furrow.

In Scripture, to labor in any calling. He that ploweth should plow in hope. 7 Corinthians 9:10. To plow on the back, to scourge; to mangle, or to persecute and torment. Psalm 129:3. To plow with one’s heifer, to deal with the wife to obtain something from the husband. Judges 14:18. To plow iniquity or wickedness, and reap it, to devise and practice it, and at last suffer the punishment of it. Job 4:8 Hosea 10:13. To plow in, to cover by plowing; as, to plow in wheat. To plow up or out, to turn out of the ground by plowing. To put one’s hand to the plow and look back, is to enter on the service of Christ and afterwards abandon it. Luke 9:62. [This difference of orthography often made between the noun and verb is wholly unwarrantable, and contrary to settled analogy in our language. Such a difference is never made in changing into verbs, plot, harrow, notice, question, and most other words. See Practice.I.