A plow is a farming tool that cuts and turns over soil to prepare it for planting crops. Before tractors existed, farmers hitched plows to horses or oxen, and the animals pulled the heavy blade through the earth, breaking up hard ground and burying weeds. Modern plows attach to tractors and can work through dozens of acres in a day.

The invention of the plow thousands of years ago changed human history. Once people could plow fields efficiently, they could grow enough food to support large populations, which led to cities, specialized jobs, and civilizations. Without plows, most of humanity would still need to spend their days gathering food instead of building, inventing, teaching, or creating.

In winter, cities use snowplows to clear roads after storms. These machines push snow aside like a farm plow pushes soil, keeping streets safe for travel.

The word also means to push forward with determination and effort. When you have a mountain of homework, you might need to plow through it one assignment at a time. A runner might plow ahead in a race despite feeling tired. This meaning captures that same steady, forceful movement of a plow cutting through resistant earth.