plow

plough on

To move, progress, or develop at a slow but constant and deliberate pace, especially that which is menial, time consuming, or tedious. Primarily heard in UK. John: "Hey Steve, what's new?" Steve: "Nothing much, just been ploughing on with research for my thesis." A: "I've still got a ways to go before I'll be finished clearing out debris from the property." B: "Well, just keep ploughing on until you're done!"See also: on, plough

plow the sands

To do something that seems futile. I know that I'm just plowing the sands by telling you to stay away from that boy, but I'm your father, and I don't want to see you get hurt. That couch will never fit up the steps—tell them to stop plowing the sands!See also: plow, sand

clean (one's) plow

To physically attack one, as with punches and other blows, such that they suffer significant injury. If you humiliate me like this again, I'll clean your plow!See also: clean, plow

plough (one's) own furrow

To do something in isolation; to act without the help or influence of others. Primarily heard in UK. I tried to offer Jonathan help with the project, but he'd rather plough his own furrow. As an artist, I think you should try to plough your own furrow before worrying what other people might want.See also: furrow, own, plough

poach on (one's) territory

To encroach on an area of land or part of a market that one currently controls or has jurisdiction over. The telecom giant has launched a legal campaign against the new service in an effort to prevent it from poaching on its territory. The indigenous tribe was awarded a huge reparation payment after a federal court agreed that the government had unlawfully poached on their territory for hundreds of years.See also: on, poach, territory

put (one's) hand to the plow

To set to work; to begin or get busy working. (Spelled "hand to the plough" in British English.) Primarily heard in US. We've spent a long time planning our business model, and now it's time to put our hand to the plow. My father loves his work. Even after retiring, he still puts his hand to the plow with various projects.See also: hand, plow, put

plow back

To reinvest financial gains back into a business. Traders have been plowing back into the tech market, as shares in the biggest companies continue to skyrocket. The company, though very successful on paper, is on the brink of bankruptcy, because the CEOs have been lining their pockets with all of its profits instead of plowing back into it.See also: back, plow

plow into (someone or something)

1. To crash into something with great force. The driver lost control of the truck, and it plowed right into the front of the café. The attacker plowed into a crowd of people and was tackled to the ground by one of them.2. To undertake something with great energy, fervor, or determination. Sorry, I can't chat right now. I've got to plow into all these emails that piled up while I was on vacation. I can't believe how enthusiastic Jeff has been about his new classes—he's been plowing into his homework every chance he gets!See also: plow

plow under

1. Literally, to bury something under the surface of the ground by turning the soil up over it. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "plow" and "under." The once lush forests of the area were eventually plowed under to make room for fields of corn and wheat. We had to plow the entire field under because the market prices for corn had fallen so low.2. To cause someone to be extremely busy; to overwhelm someone. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "plow" and "under"; usually used in passive constructions. Kate's not coming tonight because she's plowed under with research for her thesis. The boss has plowed me under with way too many projects—I'll need some help or I'll never finish them on time!See also: plow

plow (something) back (into something)

To reinvest financial gains back into a business or industry. (Usually spelled "plough" in British English.) Even if you're company is thriving, it could still go bankrupt if you don't plow those profits back into the business. Many traders have been plowing part of their enormous earnings back into the tech market, as shares in the biggest companies continue to skyrocket.See also: back, plow

plow in

To plow the soil so as to mix some other substance thoroughly into it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "plow" and "in." (Usually spelled "plough" in British English.) You plow in this new kind of insecticide so that the plants are naturally resistant to bugs as they grow. Make sure you plow the fertilizer in before you sow the seeds.See also: plow

plow through (something)

1. To create a path through some heavy substance with or as with a plow. (Usually spelled "plough" in British English.) We had to plow through the snow to reach our neighbor's house. The mud was so horrible after the floods receded that we were plowing through it for days.2. To progress through something with great speed, enthusiasm, or determination. Wow, you really plowed through that book! Are you ready for the next one in the series? I know you want to plow through these early lessons, but you should really take your time so the information sinks in.See also: plow, through

plow up (something)

1. To clear some pathway by digging into it with or as with a plow. (Usually spelled "plough" in British English.) I decided to plow up the road because it had become so uneven and overgrown with shrubs.2. To damage a road or pathway with the use of a plow. The city trucks really plowed up the asphalt on our road when they cleared away the snow. It looks terrible now, and it's horribly bumpy to drive on!3. To drive up or along some road or pathway with great, reckless haste. The cab driver plowed up the small mountain road at breakneck speed, nearly crashing into three different cars along the way.4. To discover something as a result of uncovering it with a plow. I couldn't believe it when Jake plowed up an original Superman #1, wrapped in plastic and in mint condition. I plowed up Dad's cell phone this morning. He'd been looking for it all winter!See also: plow, up

plow water

To pursue or continue with some futile task or activity, wasting one's time as a result. Usually used in the continuous tense. I've spent my life campaigning for environmental protection, but with the way the world's governments continue to favor corporations over everything else, I feel as though I've been plowing water this whole time. You're plowing water if you think you're going to change Henry's mind.See also: plow, water

clean someone's plow

Rur. to beat someone up. If Joe crosses me one more time, I'll clean his plow for sure. Somebody must have really cleaned Bill's plow last night. He had two black eyes this morning!See also: clean, plow

plow into someone or something

to crash into someone or something; to bump hard into someone or something. The car plowed into the ditch. The runner plowed into another player.See also: plow

plow something back into something

and plow something backto put something, such as a profit, back into an investment. We plowed all the profits back into the expansion of the business. Bill and Ted plowed back everything they earned into the company.See also: back, plow

plow something in

to work something into soil by plowing. Lay the fertilizer down and plow it in. Plow in the fertilizer as soon as you can.See also: plow

plow something under (something)

to turn something under the surface of soil by plowing. The farmer plowed the wheat stubble under the surface of the soil. The farmer plowed the stubble under.See also: plow

plow something up

to uncover something by plowing. The farmer plowed some old coins up and took them to the museum to find out what they were. He plowed up some valuable coins.See also: plow, up

plow through something

1. Lit. to move through something such as snow or mud with a plow. The huge truck plowed through the snow-covered streets so traffic could move again. 2. Fig. to work through something with determination. She plowed through the book to learn everything she could. Billy plowed through dinner and ran outside to play.See also: plow, through

put one's hand to the plow

Fig. to get busy; to help out; to start working. (Alludes to grasping a plow, ready to work the fields.) You should start work now. It's time to put your hand to the plow. Put your hand to the plow and get the job done!See also: hand, plow, put

plow back

Reinvest earnings or profits in one's business, as in This company plows back half its profits every year. This term transfers the farming practice of turning the soil from top to bottom to financial enterprises. [First half of 1900s] See also: back, plow

plow into

Strike with force, crash into; also, attack vigorously. For example, The truck plowed into the retaining wall, or Carol plowed into the pile of correspondence. This expression transfers the force of the farmer's plow to other enterprises. [Late 1800s] See also: plow

plow under

Cause to vanish, overwhelm, as in The independent bookstores are being plowed under by the large chains. This term alludes to the farmer's burying vegetation by turning it into the soil with a plow. [Second half of 1900s] See also: plow

plow back

v. To reinvest some earnings or profits in one's business: After plowing back its profits for years, the company finally decided to pay dividends to its investors. The owners plowed the profits back into the business, using the money to buy new equipment.See also: back, plow

plow into

v.1. To strike someone or something with force: The truck slid on the ice and plowed into a brick wall.2. To cause something to strike someone or something with force: The driver plowed the SUV into the wall.3. To undertake something, as a task, with eagerness and vigor: I went to the library and plowed into my research paper.4. To invest some amount of money into something: The company plowed its excess cash into stocks. I just plowed $200,000 into a new house.See also: plow

plow under

v.1. To work something into the earth by turning up soil over it: Low grain prices have forced many farmers to plow their crops under. Many wetlands were plowed under to make more farmland.2. To overwhelm someone or something: My teachers have plowed me under with work this week. We were plowed under with dirty laundry.See also: plow

plowed (under)

mod. alcohol or drug intoxicated. They went out and got plowed. See also: plow

plowed

verbSee plowed underSee also: plow

plowing water

n. wasting time doing something futile. You’re wasting your time. You’re plowing water. See also: plow, water

plow

plough,

agricultural implement used to cut furrows in and turn up the soil, preparing it for planting. The plow is generally considered the most important tillage tool. Its beginnings in the Bronze Age were associated with the domestication of draft animals and the increasing demand for food resulting from the rise of cities. The plow is depicted on Egyptian monuments, mentioned in the Old Testament, and described by Hesiod and Vergil. The early plow consisted simply of a wooden wedge, tipped with iron and fastened to a single handle, and a beam, which was pulled by men or oxen. Such implements were capable of breaking but not of inverting the soil. The plow evolved gradually until c.1600, when British landlords attempted greater improvements. The first half of the 18th cent. saw the introduction into England of the moldboard, a curved board that turns over the slice of earth cut by the share. Important improvements in design and materials were made in the early part of the 19th cent. They included streamlined moldboards, replaceable shares, and steel plows with self-scouring moldboards. Standardized by 1870, the modern moldboard plow has been improved by various attachments, e.g., the colter, a sharp blade or disk that cuts the ground in advance of the share. In 19th-century America horses largely replaced oxen for drawing plows. Tractors now supply this power in most developed parts of the world. With more powerful tractors, larger plows have come into use. Among the various types of plows in use today are the reversible two-way plow for contour plowing; listers and middlebusters, which prepare shallow beds; the disk plowdisk plow
or disk,
farm implement employing a row or rows of concave circular steel disks that cut and pitch the soil in a way somewhat similar to a moldboard plow.
..... Click the link for more information. , whose revolving concave disks are useful in working hard or dry soil; the rotary plow, with an assembly of knives on the shaft that mix the surface growth with the soil; and the chisel plow, with points mounted on long shanks to loosen hard, dry soils and shatter subsurface hardpan. The plow often symbolizes agriculture, as in the great seals of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and other states.

Bibliography

See publications of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture; C. Culpin, Farm Machinery (12th ed. 1992).

Plow

an agricultural implement for primary tillage. The plow is the oldest soil-working implement. It is known from Babylonian and ancient Egyptian depictions, cave drawings in northern Italy and southern Sweden (dating from the second millennium B.C.), and actual finds in peat bogs in Poland. The plow was used in China before the first millennium B.C. All the ancient plows were made of wood and had a shaft for harnessing animals and handles or a split stem for steering. The working part, the share, was held horizontally to form a true plow or obliquely to form a sokha (Russian plow). Plows with an iron share appeared in the first millennium B.C. The Romans invented a forecarriage on wheels, making it possible to regulate the depth of plowing. They used a blade placed in front of the share for cutting through the soil, and boards, which served as mold-boards, attached at an angle to the share for loosening and pushing aside the soil.

In Russia the plow appeared in the forest-steppe zone in the eighth or ninth century A.D., on the eve of the formation of Kievan Rus’. The development of the modern plow dates to the 17th century. The first metal horse-drawn plows appeared at the end of the 18th century. Factory production of such plows in Russia began in 1802, and both those without a forecarriage and those with a Russian forecarriage were produced. The first mechanized plows were produced only after the October Revolution of 1917. The first series-produced tractor plows were manufactured in the USSR by the Odessa October Revolution Plant in 1925. Further development of plow design involved replacing drawn plows with mounted and semimounted ones and changing the cutting width of the plow for more effective use with tractors. In 1973 there were 961,000 general-purpose tractor plows in the USSR. Modern plows are classified according to the type of working parts as share and disk plows; according to the type of motive power as tractor plows (mounted, semimounted, and trailed), horse-drawn, and cable plows; and according to the number of working parts as single-bottom, double-bottom, and multiple plows. Distinctions are also made based on the use— basic, or general-purpose, and special plows—and on the type of plowing—plows for furrowing, inthrow and outthrow plowing, and flat plowing.

In the USSR, the predominant types of plows are the tractor-mounted share plow, the trailed plow, and the semimounted plow. The basic assemblies are the working parts, the mechanism for adjusting plowing depth, the plow clutch, the hydraulic cylinder, the support wheels, and the mounting assembly for mounted plows or hitch for trailed plows. All the assemblies are mounted on a flat or arched beam frame. The working parts of a share plow include the bottom, consisting of a plow head with the share, moldboard, and landside fastened to it; the jointer, which is similar to but smaller than the bottom; and the rolling or knife colter. For deepening the subsoil by 5–12 cm without carrying the soil to the surface, subsoilers are fastened to the plow bottoms. As the plow cuts the surface of the soil, the jointers, located 30–35 cm in front of the bottoms, remove a 10-cm layer of soil and deposit it into a furrow formed by another bottom moving ahead. The bottoms cut with shares and open the soil layer with the field edge of the moldboards. The moldboards lift, crumble, and invert the furrow slices, and cover the soil that the jointers have deposited into the furrow. The rolling colter, located at the rear of the bottom, cuts off the furrow slice, leaving an intact wall and clean furrow. For plowing virgin and fallow lands, the rolling colters are fastened in front of each bottom. The rear portion of the landside presses against the furrow sole, and the side portion presses against the furrow wall and counteracts the pressure exerted by the furrow slice on the plow bottom. Bottoms without moldboards are used to loosen the soil to a depth of 40 cm without inverting the furrow slice.

The wheels used on trailed and semimounted plows not only support the plow assembly but are also fitted with a screw mechanism that allows the plowing depth to be adjusted by raising or lowering the plow on its wheels. Mounted plows also have support wheels with this feature. The plow clutch, used on trailed plows, and the hydraulic cylinder, used on semimounted ones, are used for changing the plow to a transport position. A mounted plow is raised and lowered by the tractor’s hydraulic system.

Disk plows are basically used for plowing up new land after forests have been cleared and for working heavy, packed, weedy, and bog soils. The working parts of these plows are spherical disks that turn on axles mounted on the plow frame.

General-purpose plows are used for the primary plowing of soil to a depth of 20–30 cm. For inthrow and outthrow plowing, plow bottoms that turn the soil to the right are mounted on the plow frames. Flat plowing is done with reversible, pickup, and shuttle plows. The reversible plow has right-handed and left-handed bottoms fastened on the same frame. After each trip of the plow over the ground, the frame is rotated 90° around the longitudinal axis by a turning mechanism. The pickup plow is equipped with sections of right-handed and left-handed bottoms that are operated alternately. The shuttle plow consists of two sections of right-handed and left-handed bottoms that are suspended on the tractor mountings, one in front and the other in back. It works across a slope (along the horizontals) by the shuttle method, and the front and rear sections are used alternately.

Special plows include brush and bog, deep, orchard disk, vineyard, gang, and forest plows and plows for use on rocky soils. The brush and bog plow is used for tilling bog and peat soils, for forest stubbing and clearing after brush has been cut, and for plowing up soils covered with brush and young trees 2–4 m tall. The gang plow is designed for two-and three-depth plowing of alkaline and podzolic soils. With three-depth plowing, the front bottom removes and inverts the upper soil layer and places it in the furrow sole formed by the rear bottom during the previous trip over the ground. The middle bottom lifts the third layer and moves it to the side together with the upper soil layer; it does not invert the layer. At the same time, the rear bottom lifts and inverts the second layer and places it in the furrow sole formed by the middle bottom. With two-depth plowing, the upper layer is either laid on the surface of the field and the middle and lower layers are mixed together or the upper layer is covered to a given depth and the two lower layers are lifted to the surface without being inverted. The deep plow is used for working soil to a depth of 40 cm in vineyards, orchards, and forest stands. The orchard disk plow is used for plowing the soil between the rows in orchards and is equipped with a device that enables it to be shifted to the side. This makes it possible to work the soil beneath mature trees. The forest plow is equipped with a working bottom with right-handed and left-handed moldboards that operate simultaneously. It opens furrows for seeding and planting forest crops in felling areas where the stumps have not been removed, and it has a device for sowing conifer seeds in the furrows. Plows for working rocky soils are equipped with a lever mechanism for lifting the plow bottoms over obstacles in their path.

In the beginning of the 1960’s, Soviet and foreign research institutions and design offices proposed designs for rotary plows and plows with rotary moldboards in order to improve the quality of tillage. The bottom of a plow with a rotary moldboard inverts and loosens the furrow slice at higher operating speeds; it has 30 percent less drag than a share plow. However, the rotary working part does not cover the crop residue sufficiently well, and it mixes the soil layers poorly.

REFERENCES

Sel’skokhoziaistvennaia tekhnika: Katalog, 3rd ed. Moscow, 1967. Karpenko, N. A., and A. A. Zelenev. Sel’skokhoziaistvennye mashiny. Moscow, 1968.
Katalog traktorov, sel’skokhoziaistvennykh, zemleroinykh i meliorativ-nykh mashin, transportnykh sredstv, mashin i oborudovaniia dlia me-khanizatsii zhivotnovodcheskikh ferm. Moscow, 1972.

V. KOMARISTOV

plow

[plau̇] (agriculture) An implement consisting of a share, moldboard, and landside attached to a frame; used to cut, lift, turn, and pulverize soil in preparation of a seedbed.

plow, plough

1. A carpenter’s plane which cuts grooves. 2. A router. 3.See groove.

router plane, plough, plow

router plane A plane used for cutting and smoothing grooves which have their bottoms parallel to the surface; has a handle at each end and a centrally located cutting tool.

plough

(esp US), plow1. any of various similar implements, such as a device for clearing snow 2. a plane with a narrow blade for cutting grooves in wood

plow

plow

plow

plow

plow

plow

plow

plough

plow

plow

plough on

plow the sands

clean (one's) plow

plough (one's) own furrow

poach on (one's) territory

put (one's) hand to the plow

plow back

plow into (someone or something)

plow under

plow (something) back (into something)

plow in

plow through (something)

plow up (something)

plow water

clean someone's plow

plow into someone or something

plow something back into something

plow something in

plow something under (something)

plow something up

plow through something

put one's hand to the plow

plow back

plow into

plow under

plow back

plow into

plow under

plowed (under)

plowed

plowing water

plow

plow

plough,

Bibliography

Plow

REFERENCES

plow

plow, plough

router plane, plough, plow

plough

Lister

Lister

Lis·ter

PLOW

plow

Synonyms for plow

verb to spade or dig (soil) to bring the undersoil to the surface

Synonyms

Synonyms for plow

noun a farm tool having one or more heavy blades to break the soil and cut a furrow prior to sowing

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verb to break and turn over earth especially with a plow

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verb act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

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verb move in a way resembling that of a plow cutting into or going through the soil

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