Meaning & use
ploughs
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“ploughs” is a form of “plough”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Turns over and breaks up the soil of a field with a heavy farm tool, usually before seeds are planted.
Grammar: Can take an object: she ploughs the field; or stand alone: he ploughs all morning.
Patterns
- plough something
- plough a field
My uncle ploughs the upper field every March before sowing barley.
She ploughs slowly so that the soil is turned evenly.
He ploughs until the light fades.
verbintransitive
Pushes forcefully through something, or crashes into it, often without slowing down or stopping.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by into, through or on: the lorry ploughs into the wall.
Patterns
- plough into something
- plough through something
- plough on
The ferry ploughs through the rough water at full speed.
A runaway truck ploughs into the barrier at the bottom of the hill.
She ploughs on with her essay even when she feels tired.
nounplural
Large farm tools with sharp blades that cut and turn over soil in preparation for planting crops.
Grammar: Plural of plough; one plough, two ploughs.
Patterns
- horse-drawn ploughs
- ploughs for something
Old iron ploughs are displayed outside the farm museum.
The village still keeps two wooden ploughs from the nineteenth century.
Modern ploughs are pulled by tractors, not horses.
Word forms
| third person singular | ploughs |
|---|---|
| past tense | ploughed |
| past participle | ploughed |
| -ing form | ploughing |
| base form | plough |
Common combinations
- plough a field
- They ploughed the field before the rains arrived.
- plough into
- The car ploughs into the fence if the driver brakes too late.
- plough through
- She ploughs through a hundred emails every morning.
- plough money into
- The company ploughs its profits into new research.
- horse-drawn plough
- Horse-drawn ploughs were common before tractors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- till
- Till is a broader farming word that covers preparing and cultivating soil by any method, while plough names one specific tool and action.
- furrow
- Furrow focuses on the long groove that is cut in the soil, whereas plough describes the whole action of turning the earth.
- crash
- Crash suggests an accident and loss of control, while plough into suggests heavy, driving force that may or may not be an accident.
- slog
- Slog is informal and stresses tiring effort over a long task, whereas plough through can sound steadier and more determined.
Word family
Commonly confused: ploughs or plows?
ploughs vs plows
Plows is the American spelling of the same word; the meaning is identical, so choose one spelling and stay consistent.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'ploughs' as a verb meaning to push forcefully through something?
Choose one answer.
Only the tanker sentence uses ploughs as a verb of forceful movement. The other options use ploughs as a plural noun for farm tools.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ploughs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.