Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
SOW
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English sowe, from Old English sugu; akin to Old English & Old High German sū sow, Latin sus pig, swine, hog, Greek hys Date: before 12th century an adult female swine,
2. a channel that conducts molten metal to molds, a mass of metal solidified in such a mold ; ingot ,
II. verb (sowed; sown or sowed; sowing)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sāwan; akin to Old High German sāwen to sow, Latin serere, Lithuanian sėti Date: before 12th century intransitive verb to plant seed for growth especially by scattering, to set something in motion ; begin an enterprise, transitive verb
1. to scatter (as seed) upon the earth for growth, to strew with or as if with seed, to introduce into a selected environment ; implant , to set in motion ; foment , to spread abroad ; disperse , sower noun