a.	a large oblong mass of iron that has solidified in the common channel through which the molten metal flows to the smaller channels in which the pigs solidify.

b.	the common channel itself.

c.	a basin holding any of certain molten nonferrous metals to be cast.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME sowe, OE sugu; c. G Sau, ON sȳr, L sūs, Gk hûs, Tocharian B suwo; see swine

Related forms:

sowlike, adjective

Link To sowlike

Word Origin & History

sow (n.)

O.E. sugu, su "female of the swine," from P.Gmc. *sugo (cf. O.S., O.H.G. su, Ger. Sau, Du. zeug, O.N. syr), from PIE base *su- (cf. Skt. sukarah "wild boar, swine;" Avestan hu "wild boar;" Gk. hys "swine;" L. sus "swine," swinus "pertaining to swine;" O.C.S. svinija "swine;" Lett. sivens "young pig;" Welsh hucc, Ir. suig "swine; O.Ir. socc "snout, plowshare"), possibly imitative of pig noise, a notion reinforced by the fact that Skt. sukharah means "maker of (the sound) 'su.' " Related to swine. As a term of abuse for a woman, attested from 1508.

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