1 B2 neutral
To plough or till an entire area of land.
"They ploughed over the old vegetable garden to plant winter wheat."
separable
plough over
B2 neutral separable transitive
To use a plough to till, clear, or destroy an area of land; or to drive over something with great force.
In plain English
To use a plough to break up or flatten an area of ground, or to drive heavily over something.
What does "plough over" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To destroy or flatten something by driving over it with force.
"The tank ploughed over the barbed wire fence as if it weren't there."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To drag a plough across the surface of an area of land.
Actually means
To use a plough to break up or flatten an area of ground, or to drive heavily over something.
Usage tip
Mostly used in agricultural or land-use contexts. Can also be used metaphorically for destroying or ignoring something in one's path. Chiefly British English.
Words that pair with "plough over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
field land crop meadow grass site
How to conjugate "plough over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
plough over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ploughs over
he/she/it
Past simple
ploughed over
yesterday
Past participle
ploughed over
have + pp
-ing form
ploughing over
continuous
Hear "plough over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "plough over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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