furrows

A furrow is a long, narrow trench or groove carved into a surface. The term can describe a physical cut or natural groove, and it is used across disciplines to denote a channel or trough. The word originates from Old English furh, related to digging and plowing.

Natural furrows form by erosion, flowing water, wind, or freeze-thaw cycles that wear away material. In landscapes and soils, they guide drainage and can become networks of channels. In geology and archaeology, furrows may indicate past water flow, grazing, or cultivation patterns that left elongated marks.

In agriculture, furrows are deliberate trenches plowed into fields to plant seeds, manage irrigation, and improve drainage. They separate rows, help anchor young plants, and reduce soil erosion by concentrating water and reducing surface runoff. Furrow irrigation directs water down the channels along crop rows. Spacing, depth, and width depend on crop type, soil, and equipment.

In other contexts, furrows describe grooves on surfaces such as skin wrinkles or the brain's grooves (sulci), and on leaves or fruit where the epidermis forms lines.