plough and plow are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. plough means “a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major”. plow means “to break and turn over earth especially with a plow”.
/ˈplaʊ/
1.n.a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major
2.n.a farm tool having one or more heavy blades to break the soil and cut a furrow prior to sowing
3.v.move in a way resembling that of a plow cutting into or going through the soil
“The ship plowed through the water”
/ˈplaʊ/
| plough | plow | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈplaʊ/ | /ˈplaʊ/ |
| Said | plow | plow |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 4 | 4 |
| How common | Familiar | Familiar |
| Synonyms | Big Dipper, Dipper, Charles's Wain | plough, turn |
Full entry for plough · Full entry for plow · More comparisons
1.v.to break and turn over earth especially with a plow
“Farmer Jones plowed his east field last week”
2.v.act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
“This book deals with incest”
3.v.move in a way resembling that of a plow cutting into or going through the soil
“The ship plowed through the water”