mow down

mow ¹  (mou)

n.

1. The place in a barn where hay, grain, or other feed is stored.

2. A stack of hay or other feed stored in a barn.

---

[Middle English, stack of hay, from Old English mga.]

---

mow ²  (m)

v. mowed, mowed or mown (mn), mow·ing, mows

v.tr.

1. To cut down (grass or grain) with a scythe or a mechanical device.

2. To cut (grass or grain) from: mow the lawn.

v.intr.

To cut down grass or other growth.

Phrasal Verb:

mow down

1. To destroy in great numbers as if cutting down, as in battle.

2. To overwhelm: mowed down the opposition with strong arguments.

---

[Middle English mowen, from Old English mwan; see m-⁴ in Indo-European roots.]

---

mower (mr) n.

---

mow down

Verb

to kill in large numbers, esp. by gunfire

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

mow down - kill a large number of people indiscriminately; "The Hutus massacred the Tutsis in Rwanda" massacre, slaughter kill - cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly; "This man killed several people when he tried to rob a bank"; "The farmer killed a pig for the holidays"