plough up
B2 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To turn soil over with a plough, or to churn up a surface by going across it many times.
Literal meaning: A plough turning and breaking the surface of the ground upward.
Meanings
1 B2 neutral
To break up or turn over a piece of land with a plough, especially to convert it to cropland.
"They ploughed up the old pasture to plant sunflowers."
Grammar: separable
2 B2 neutral
To churn up or damage a surface by moving over it repeatedly with heavy vehicles or feet.
"The horses had completely ploughed up the soft ground near the gate."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Used literally in farming ('plough up a meadow to create cropland') and figuratively for churning up ground by vehicle traffic ('the trucks ploughed up the grass verge'). Chiefly British English.
Commonly used with
field meadow lawn ground pasture turf
Forms
Base
plough up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ploughs up
he/she/it
Past simple
ploughed up
yesterday
Past participle
ploughed up
have + pp
-ing form
ploughing up
continuous
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