1
: a piled-up stack (as of hay or fodder)
also
: a pile of hay or grain in a barn
2
: the part of a barn where hay or straw is stored
mowed; mowed or mown
ˈmōn 
; mowing
; mowing
1
a
: to cut down with a scythe or sickle or machine
b
: to cut the standing herbage (such as grass) of
mow the lawn
2
a(1)
: to kill or destroy in great numbers or mercilessly
machine guns mowed down the enemy
(2)
: to cause to fall : knock down
b
: to overcome swiftly and decisively : rout
mowed down the opposing team
: to cut down standing herbage (such as grass)
Examples of mow in a Sentence
Verb (1)
you really should mow the lawn before it gets much higher
an afternoon spent mowing hay
Noun (2)
her mow suggested that she wasn't looking forward to a long evening of political speeches
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Someone who wasn’t at the birthday party mowed a lawn.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
Delete public safety positions as if the work of the District Attorney were no different from any other department on the spreadsheet—interchangeable with filing permits or mowing medians.
—Todd Spitzer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Removing small amounts of the leaf blade each mowing minimizes plant stress.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mow
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Verb
Two easy ways to ensure the grass is mowed properly is, according to Cannon, to know the turf type and how much to mow and use a sharp mower blade to avoid tears or rips, which are basically open wounds on the plant.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Someone who wasn’t at the birthday party mowed a lawn.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
Delete public safety positions as if the work of the District Attorney were no different from any other department on the spreadsheet—interchangeable with filing permits or mowing medians.
—Todd Spitzer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Removing small amounts of the leaf blade each mowing minimizes plant stress.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mow
Cite this Entry
“Mow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mow. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mow
1 of 2 noun1
: a stack of hay or straw
2
: the part of a barn where hay or straw is stored
Etymology
Noun
Old English mūga "heap, stack"
Verb
Old English māwan "to mow (as hay)"
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