1 N‑COUNT A furrow is a long, thin line in the earth which a farmer makes in order to plant seeds or to allow water to flow along.
2 N‑COUNT A furrow is a deep, fairly wide line in the surface of something. □ Dirt bike trails crisscrossed the grassy furrows.
3 N‑COUNT A furrow is a deep fold or line in the skin of someone's face. □ …the deep furrows that marked the corners of his mouth.
4 VERB If someone furrows their brow or forehead or if it furrows , deep folds appear in it because the person is annoyed, unhappy, or confused. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] My bank manager furrowed his brow, fingered his calculator and finally pronounced 'Aha!'. □ [V ] Midge's forehead furrowed as she saw that several were drinking. □ [V -ed] Fatigue and stress quickly result in a dull complexion and a furrowed brow.
5 PHRASE If you say that someone ploughs a particular furrow or ploughs their own furrow , you mean that their activities or interests are different or isolated from those of other people. [BRIT ] □ The government is more than adept at ploughing its own diplomatic furrow.
fur|ry /fɜː ri/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A furry animal is covered with thick, soft hair. □ …the coyote's furry tail.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as furry , you mean that it has a soft rough texture like fur. □ …his herringbone tweed coat with its furry lining.
fur|ther ◆◆◆ /fɜː r ðə r / (furthers , furthering , furthered ) Further is a comparative form of far . It is also a verb. 1 ADV [ADV with v] Further means to a greater extent or degree. □ Inflation is below 5% and set to fall further. □ The rebellion is expected to further damage the country's image. □ The government's economic policies have further depressed living standards.
2 ADV [ADV with v] If you go or get further with something, or take something further , you make some progress. □ They lacked the scientific personnel to develop the technical apparatus much further.
3 ADV [ADV after v] If someone goes further in a discussion, they make a more extreme statement or deal with a point more thoroughly. □ On February 7th the Post went further, claiming that Mr Wood had grabbed and kissed another 13 women. □ To have a better comparison, we need to go further and address such issues as insurance.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] A further thing, number of things, or amount of something is an additional thing, number of things, or amount. □ His speech provides further evidence of his increasingly authoritarian approach. □ There was nothing further to be done for this man.
5 ADV [ADV adv/prep] Further means a greater distance than before or than something else. □ Now we live further away from the city centre. □ He came to a halt at a crossroads fifty yards further on. □ Further to the south are some of the island's loveliest unspoilt coves.
6 ADV [ADV adv/prep] Further is used in expressions such as ' further back ' and ' further ahead ' to refer to a point in time that is earlier or later than the time you are talking about. □ Looking further ahead, by the end of the century world population is expected to be about ten billion.
7 VERB If you further something, you help it to progress, to be successful, or to be achieved. □ [V n] Education needn't only be about furthering your career.
8 ADV You use further to introduce a statement that relates to the same general topic and that gives additional information or makes an additional point. [FORMAL ] □ Many people believe there is no sense to human past and, further, no predictability to human future.
9 PHRASE Further to is used in letters in expressions such as ' further to your letter ' or ' further to our conversation ', in order to indicate what you are referring to in the letter. [BRIT , FORMAL ] □ Further to your letter, I agree that there are some problems, politically speaking.
fur|ther|ance /fɜː r ðərəns/ N‑UNCOUNT The furtherance of something is the activity of helping it to be successful or be achieved. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The thing that matters is the furtherance of research in this country.
fu r|ther edu|ca |tion N‑UNCOUNT Further education is the education of people who have left school but who are not at a university or a college of education. [mainly BRIT ] □ Most further-education colleges offer A-level courses. in AM, use continuing education
further|more /fɜː r ðə r mɔː r / ADV Furthermore is used to introduce a piece of information or opinion that adds to or supports the previous one. [FORMAL ] □ Furthermore, they claim that any such interference is completely ineffective.
further|most /fɜː r ðə r moʊst/ ADJ [ADJ n] The furthermost one of a number of similar things is the one that is the greatest distance away from a place. □ We walked to the furthermost point and then sat on the sand dunes.
fur|thest /fɜː r ð I st/ Furthest is a superlative form of far . 1 ADV [ADV with v] Furthest means to a greater extent or degree than ever before or than anything or anyone else. □ Wages slipped furthest in the retail, customer service and sales sectors. □ The smallest of the home nations went furthest in the competition.
2 ADV [n ADV , ADV after v, be ADV ] Furthest means at a greater distance from a particular point than anyone or anything else, or for a greater distance than anyone or anything else. □ The risk of thunder is greatest in those areas furthest from the coast. □ Amongst those who have travelled furthest to take part in the Festival are a group from Northern Ireland. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Furthest is also an adjective. □ …the furthest point from earth that any controlled spacecraft has ever been.