Cut grass or grain with a machine or scythe; also means cut down large quantities of something quickly.
From Old English 'mawan,' related to German 'mähen.' The past tense 'mowed' has been used since Old English, with the 'lawn mower' meaning becoming common in 1800s.
The phrase 'mowed down' (killed quickly in large numbers) comes from medieval battlefield imagery—soldiers literally mowing down enemy ranks like grain, which is why movies use this term for gunfire.
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