furrow

From Middle English furgh, forow, from Old English furh, from Proto-Germanic *furhs (compare Saterland Frisian fuurge, Dutch voor, German Furche, Swedish fåra), from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥ḱeh₂ (compare Welsh rhych (“furrow”), Latin porca (“lynchet”), Lithuanian prapar̃šas (“ditch”), Sanskrit पर्शान (párśāna, “chasm”)).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfʌɹoʊ/, /ˈfɝoʊ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfʌɹəʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (accents without the "Hurry-furry" merger)

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  (accents with the "Hurry-furry" merger)
• Rhymes: -ʌɹəʊ

furrow (plural furrows)

1. A trench cut in the soil, as when plowed in order to plant a crop.

   Don't walk across that deep furrow in the field.

2. Any trench, channel, or groove, as in wood or metal.
3. A deep wrinkle in the skin of the face, especially on the forehead.

   When she was tired, a deep furrow appeared on her forehead.

furrow (third-person singular simple present furrows, present participle furrowing, simple past and past participle furrowed)

1. (transitive) To make (a) groove, a cut(s) in (the ground etc.).

   Cart wheels can furrow roads.

2. (transitive) To wrinkle
3. (transitive) To pull one's brows or eyebrows together due to worry, concentration etc.

   Leave me alone so I can furrow my brows and concentrate.

   • 2016 February 20, “Obituary: Antonin Scalia: Always right”, in The Economist:

     If you were bold enough to ask Antonin Scalia questions, you had to be precise. Otherwise the bushy black brows would furrow, the chin would crumple and the pudgy, puckish body would start to rock, eager to get at you.

• (to pull one's brows or eyebrows together): frown

• plough a lonely furrow