furrow, noun

Origin:
English, AfrikaansShow more General English, now obsolete; probably influenced by Afrikaans voor furrow, watervoor water furrow.
sloot sense 1. Also attributive.
1833 Graham’s Town Jrnl 2 May 2A part of the stream is directed into a furrow leading through the different streets, and plentifully irrigates the gardens and vineyards.
1849 J.D. Lewins Diary. 5 Oct.Yankee & myself busy all day making furrows & leading water.
1882 J. Nixon Among Boers 230Furrows of water intersected the streets..but the water in them appeared to be applied to so many uses that we were very careful not to drink any of it.
1893 Brown’s S. Afr. 196The waste-water from the springs flows through the streets in paved furrows.
1900 E.E.K. Lowndes Every-Day Life 86A shallow ditch is dug, called a ‘furrow’, into which the water is turned. Other furrows branch from the principal one, which can be opened or closed at any time by means of a shovelful of earth.
c1911 S. Playne Cape Col. 323The lucerne..is irrigated by water from the Meirings Poort River, by means of weirs and furrows, the latter conducting the water direct on to the lands.
1932 Grocott’s Daily Mail 12 Jan. 3Lands were soon under cultivation, twenty-four miles of furrows to lead out water from the Kat River were made.
1940 F.B. Young City of Gold 188This whole farm is a network of furrows that follow the contours: he can lead water anywhere.
1965 C. Van Heyningen Orange Days 15Many an hour was spent in making mud pies next to the furrow of water that ran near the house.
1972 Farmer’s Weekly 21 Apr. 86Lands with furrow irrigation are terraced and contoured.
1979 M. Parkes Wheatlands 9The water from the weir was led down a furrow and a half a mile from the dam the furrow was stopped so that the water spread over the veld, finally running into a dam.
1985 S. Afr. Panorama Oct. 41Supplied from natural springs..these furrows watered vegetable gardens as well as orchards of quinces, peaches and pears.
1991 Sunday Times 9 June 7Families..were forced to collect water from ditches and furrows alongside the streets.
sloot sense 1. Also attributive.
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18331991