checkrow: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowSpecialized, Technical, Agricultural
Quick answer
What does “checkrow” mean?
In agriculture, to plant seeds (especially corn/maize) in two directions to form intersecting rows, forming a checkerboard pattern, allowing for mechanical cross-cultivation.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In agriculture, to plant seeds (especially corn/maize) in two directions to form intersecting rows, forming a checkerboard pattern, allowing for mechanical cross-cultivation.
In broader technical contexts, can refer to any arrangement in a grid or checkerboard pattern, but this usage is rare. There is no non-specialist extended meaning.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is predominantly American, relating to corn/maize cultivation. In British agricultural contexts, the equivalent concept is less common and would likely be described as "cross-drilling" or "planting in squares".
Connotations
American: evokes traditional, mechanized midwestern farming. British: likely unknown or highly technical.
Frequency
Extremely rare in the UK. In the US, it is a dated term, mostly found in historical texts or among older farming communities.
Grammar
How to Use “checkrow” in a Sentence
[Farmer/Planter] checkrows [crop/field].[Field] is checkrowed.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “checkrow” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The farmer decided to checkrow the maize to facilitate weeding in both directions.
American English
- My grandfather used to checkrow his corn so he could cultivate it with a horse-drawn implement.
adverb
British English
- The seeds were sown checkrow, creating a uniform grid across the field.
American English
- They planted the field checkrow, which was labor-intensive but effective for weed control.
adjective
British English
- The checkrow planter was a significant innovation in its day.
American English
- We found an old checkrow plate in the barn, used to drop seeds at precise intervals.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used only in historical or agricultural science papers discussing traditional farming techniques.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary domain. Refers to a specific planting technique and the machinery (checkrow planter) that facilitated it.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “checkrow”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “checkrow”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “checkrow”
- Using it as a general term for 'inspect a row'.
- Assuming it is a common verb.
- Using it outside of an agricultural context.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a very low-frequency, specialized term used almost exclusively in historical or technical agricultural contexts.
Yes. It can refer to the pattern itself ('a checkrow of corn') or, more commonly, to the type of planter used ('a checkrow planter').
Drilling plants seeds in continuous, parallel rows. Checkrowing plants seeds at precise intersections in a grid, creating a field of evenly spaced plants.
It is largely obsolete in modern commercial agriculture, having been replaced by chemical herbicides and advanced machinery, but it may be used in certain organic or historical farming contexts.
In agriculture, to plant seeds (especially corn/maize) in two directions to form intersecting rows, forming a checkerboard pattern, allowing for mechanical cross-cultivation.
Checkrow is usually specialized, technical, agricultural in register.
Checkrow: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɛkrəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɛkroʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: To plant in a pattern you can 'check' from any direction, like a chessboard ('check') made of 'rows'.
Conceptual Metaphor
FARMING IS GEOMETRY / The field is a grid.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of checkrowing?