Mow
/moʊ/noun
To cut down grass, grain, or other plants with a blade or machine.
Did you know?The verb ultimately goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to cut,” the same deep ancestor behind several words for slicing and division across Indo-European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meh₂-
“to cut, mow”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mawjaną
“to mow, cut down”
Old English
OE
māwan
“to mow, cut grass or grain”
Middle English
ME
mowen
“to mow, reap”
Modern English
English
mow
“to cut grass, grain, or similar plants with a blade or machine”