plough ( gh silent), plow, ploh, plou, plouh, plowe, ploughe

[Icel. plógr =a plough, cog. with Sw. plog; Dan. plov; O. Fries. ploch; Ger. pflug; O. H. Ger. pfluog; Lith. plug as; Ru . pluge. Ploh occurs in A. S. in the sense of plough-land, but the true A. S. word for plough is sulh.] I. Ordinary Language: 1. Literally: (1) In the same sense as II. 1. *(2) Plough-land, arable land. "Ne plot, ne ploh ." -A. S. Leechdoms, iii. 286. (3) Ploughed-land; land in cultivation with the plough. "The dusty ploughs on the hill caused hounds to look to their huntsmen to carry on the busine for them." Field , April 4, 1885. *(4) A hide or carucate of land. "Johan myn eldeste sone shalle have plowes fyve." Coke's Tale of Gamelyn. *2. Fig .: Tillage, cultivation, agriculture, husbandry. II. Technically : 1. Agric .: An implement for making a furrow in land, the object being to stir the soil, make a bed for seed, cover seed, hill up earth to crops, lay out lines for planting trees or shrubs, and for other purposes, according to construction. It may be drawn either by animal or by steam power. Ploughs drawn by animal i. e. by horses are divided into swing-ploughs and wheel-ploughs, the former being without wheels. The wheel plough has a forward carriage to regulate the depth of furrow, one wheel running on the land and the other in the furrow. Besides these there are also ploughs for special purposes; as, ab-soil ploughs, draining ploughs, . A balance plough is one in which two sets of plough bodies and coulters are attached to an iron frame, moving on a fulcrum, one set at either extremity, and pointing different ways. By this arrangement the balance-plough can be used without turning. Balance-ploughs are used in steam ploughing. [GANG PLOUGH.] For other varieties, as double - furrow - plough , double- moldboard - plough , ice - plough , turn wrest plough, and steam- plough , see under the several heads. 2. Bookbinding : An implement for cutting and smoothing the edges of books. It consists of two cheeks connected together by two guides and a screw pa ing through both cheeks. In one of the cheeks is fixed a cutting-blade. It is worked by 3. Weav .: An instrument for cutting the flushing parts of the pile or nap of fustian. hand with a backward and forward motion. 4. Woodworking : A grooving-plane in which the adjustable fence is secured to two transverse stems which pa through the stock of the plane, and are secured by wedges or screws. It is fitted with eight irons of various sizes, and is used in making grooves in do or stiles to receive the panel, and for similar purposes. The Plough : 3158 Astron.: Charles' Wain; the prominent seven stars in the constellation of the Great Bear. To put one's hand to the plough: To begin or set about a task or undertaking. ( Fig . ) The allusion is to Luke ix. 62. *plough-alms, *plow-alms, s. [A penny formerly paid by every ploughman to the church.