A British form of plow, covering the soil-turning tool and verb, forceful movement, determined effort, informal investment, and the star pattern called the Plough.
To push or travel through something heavily, or to crash into something with force.
Examples
The lorry ploughed into the wall after the brakes failed.
We ploughed through knee-deep snow to reach the cottage.
The ferry ploughed across rough water all afternoon.
A runaway car ploughed into the shopfront.
The hikers ploughed through mud on the lower path.
The train left the rails and ploughed into an embankment.
The dog ploughed through the puddles without slowing down.
Similar words
push
force
drive
barge
crash
ram
forge
Keep working through difficulty
verb
work
informal
To keep working, reading, eating, or talking despite length, boredom, or difficulty.
Examples
She ploughed through the dense report before lunch.
He ploughed on with the speech despite the restless audience.
The team ploughed ahead after the first test failed.
I ploughed through a stack of forms at the counter.
They ploughed through all the food on the table.
The students ploughed through the reading list in a week.
After a short break, we ploughed on with the audit.
Similar words
persevere
persist
press on
push on
slog
work through
soldier on
Invest money or resources
verb
business
informal
To put money, time, or profit into something, often to help it grow or to reinvest what it earned.
Examples
They ploughed their savings into a small bakery.
The studio ploughed its profits back into new equipment.
Investors ploughed millions into the rail project.
She ploughed every spare hour into the campaign.
The charity ploughs donations into local training schemes.
He ploughed the prize money back into his research.
The council ploughed more resources into flood defences.
Similar words
invest
reinvest
fund
sink
commit
put in
Star pattern called the Plough
noun
astronomy
neutral
In British English, the Plough is the seven-star pattern in Ursa Major known in North America as the Big Dipper.
Examples
The Plough was clear above the northern horizon.
She used the Plough to find the Pole Star.
In North America, the Plough is usually called the Big Dipper.
The seven stars of the Plough formed a familiar shape.
The guide pointed out the Plough before naming Ursa Major.
Clouds hid the Plough for most of the night.
Children learned to spot the Plough during the astronomy walk.
Similar words
Big Dipper
Charles's Wain
seven-star asterism
Etymology
From Middle English plouh and plough, from late Old English ploh and a Scandinavian form such as Old Norse plogr. The deeper origin is uncertain, and plow is now the usual North American spelling.
FAQ
Is plough the same as plow?
Yes. Plough is the usual British spelling, while plow is the usual North American spelling.
What is a plough on a farm?
It is a blade-based implement pulled through soil to cut and turn it before planting.
What does plough through mean?
It means to move through something with difficulty, or to finish a hard, long, or boring task by steady effort.
What does plough money into something mean?
It means to invest money or resources in something, often to help a business, project, or cause grow.
What is the Plough in the sky?
It is the British name for the seven-star pattern in Ursa Major that is called the Big Dipper in North America.
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Fleet Condor
Jun 28
If the menu says ploughman's lunch, dont picture a farmer actually ploughing. Its the cold pub plate, bread, cheese, pickle, maybe ham. Funny part is the name got pushed hard by cheese marketing after rationing, so it sounds older than its menu history
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Crimson Mouse
Jun 21
Canada is a bit messy on this one. We write colour and centre, sure, but snowplow is totally normal here and snowplough looks kind of imported to me. For the farm tool you may still see either spelling.