mow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cut down (grass, grain, etc.) with a scythe or a machine.
-
to cut grass, grain, etc., from.
to mow the lawn.
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
noun
-
a heap or pile of hay or of sheaves of grain in a barn.
-
the place in a barn where hay, sheaves of grain, etc., are stored.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to cut down (grass, crops, etc) with a hand implement or machine
-
(tr) to cut the growing vegetation of (a field, lawn, etc)
noun
-
the part of a barn where hay, straw, etc, is stored
-
the hay, straw, etc, stored
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mow1
First recorded before 900; Middle English mowen, mouwen “to stack hay or grain,” Old English māwan “to mow;” cognate with Old Frisian mīa, German mähen
Origin of mow2
First recorded before 900; Middle English mow(e), mou, moghe, Old English mūga, mūha, mūwa “a heap or stack of grain”; cognate with Old Norse mūgi “swath”
Origin of mow3
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English moue, mouwe, mouhe, from Middle French moue “lip, pout,” Old French möe, from Frankish; akin to Middle Dutch mouwe “protruding lip”
Explanation
When you clip grass or other plants, you mow it. If you realize your front lawn is taller than your dog, it might be time to mow it. People with grassy lawns usually mow them throughout the growing season, keeping them neatly trimmed and green. Farmers mow some food crops and hay as well, when they're ready to be harvested, although they use different tools to do it, including a curved blade called a scythe. An old-fashioned meaning of mow is "a stack of hay," or "a place where hay is stored."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Humorist Will Rogers famously joked to President Calvin Coolidge: "If that was my lake, I'd mow it."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026
In exchange, "they don't have to mow as often", to ensure the panels function properly, but also, and more importantly, to comply with bushfire prevention regulations.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
So for now, the robots being rolled out in cities are friendly and low-profile—they mow lawns, clean beaches and guide people through buildings, among other things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
If you don’t mow your lawn, the city will give you a notice, and then mow it for you, attaching the cost to your water bill.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2025
They had someone to plow the snow in the winter and mow the lawn in the summer.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Volunteers who spent hours planting 30,000 bulbs in a Bristol park say they were left in "disbelief" after council workers mowed over them just days later.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
French taxes paid for the powerful artillery that breached English-held fortresses and mowed down England’s last expeditionary force, at Castillon, Gascony, in July 1453.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Adjessom was a student at Davidson High School, and loved ones describe him as a good-natured and generous teen who mowed his neighbors’ lawns on the weekends.
From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2025
Jack Kochanowicz mowed through his first three innings against the Yankees on Monday night.
From