When you plant seeds in the ground, you sow them. You can also sow things like doubts or ideas, simply by spreading them around. If your ideas (or your seeds) develop and grow, you've successfully sown them. Purpose of SOW The main purpose of a SOW is to define the liabilities, responsibilities and work agreements between clients and service providers. A well-written SOW will define the scope of the engagement and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the engagement. In livestock terminology, a “sow” refers to an adult female pig that has had at least one litter. This usage is particularly relevant in agriculture and farming practices. Example: The farmer bought a sow to increase his pig herd. SOW meaning: 1. to put seeds in or on the ground so that plants will grow: 2. to cause a bad emotion or…. Learn more.