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plough
The term carries a strong connotation of laborious, steady effort. When used physically, it evokes the image of breaking through a resistant surface, whether it be soil or heavy seas. This sense of persistence is transferred to the intransitive use, where it describes a determined movement through a difficult medium.
In a financial context, the word suggests a strategic and cyclical process of reinvestment. It implies that the gains are not being spent or removed, but are instead being driven back into the foundation of the enterprise to ensure future growth, mirroring the way a farmer prepares the earth for a new crop.
Meanings
A large farming implement with blades used to turn over the soil before sowing seeds.
The farmer used a tractor to pull the heavy plough through the field.
To turn over the soil of a piece of land using a plough to prepare it for planting.
He spent the morning ploughing the north field.
Phrasal Verbs
plough through
to move through something with difficulty or to read/work through a large amount of material
She spent the entire weekend ploughing through the legal documents.
plough back
to reinvest profits into a business
The founders decided to plough back their earnings to expand the warehouse.