farrow

1
[ far-oh ]
See synonyms for farrow on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a litter of pigs.

verb (used with object)
  1. (of swine) to bring forth (young).

verb (used without object)
  1. to produce a litter of pigs.

Origin of farrow

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English farwen “to give birth to a litter of pigs,” derivative of Old English fearh “pig” (cognate with Latin porcus ); akin to German Ferkel “young pig”

Words Nearby farrow

Other definitions for farrow (2 of 2)

farrow2
[ far-oh ]

adjective
  1. (of a cow) not pregnant.

Origin of farrow

2
1485–95; akin to Dutch dialect verwe- (in verwekoe barren cow), Old English fearr ox

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use farrow in a sentence

  • As the quantity of milk diminishes in a farrow cow, the quality improves within certain limits.

    Domestic Animals | Richard L. Allen
  • I turned hastily, just in time to see the farrow cow in the act of shredding herself through a tight barbed wire fence.

  • "If he knew that his business here was to flatter the local lady-pigs with farrow, Wutzchen would hop out and run," Aaron said.

    Blind Man's Lantern | Allen Kim Lang
  • I had 60 well-bred sows, young and old, and I could count on them to farrow at least three times in two years.

    The Fat of the Land | John Williams Streeter
  • Miss farrow was a telepath; I'd not called my girl by name, only by an affectionate mental image.

    Highways in Hiding | George Oliver Smith

British Dictionary definitions for farrow (1 of 2)

farrow1

/ (ˈfærəʊ) /


noun
  1. a litter of piglets

verb
  1. (of a sow) to give birth to (a litter)

Origin of farrow

1
Old English fearh; related to Old High German farah young pig, Latin porcus pig, Greek porkos

British Dictionary definitions for farrow (2 of 2)

farrow2

/ (ˈfærəʊ) /


adjective
  1. (of a cow) not calving in a given year

Origin of farrow

2
C15: from Middle Dutch verwe- (unattested) cow that has ceased to bear; compare Old English fearr ox

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012