meow

[ mee-ou, myou ]
See synonyms for: meowmeowedmeowing on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the characteristic sound a cat makes.

  2. a spiteful or catty remark.

verb (used without object)
  1. to make the sound of a cat.

  2. to make a spiteful or catty remark.

Origin of meow

1
First recorded in 1870–75; imitative
  • Sometimes mi·aou, mi·aow; mi·aul [mee-oul, mee-awl] /miˈaʊl, miˈɔl/ .

Words Nearby meow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use meow in a sentence

  • Jeremiah remembered his former unhappy experience, apparently, for with one despairing meow he disappeared down the chimney.

  • I nearly fell in, myself, trying to get it out, but the well was deep and I couldn't raise a meow or a whisker.

    From the Car Behind | Eleanor M. Ingram

British Dictionary definitions for meow

meow

miaou or miaow miaul (mɪˈaʊl, mjaʊl)

/ (mɪˈaʊ, mjaʊ) /


verb
  1. (intr) (of a cat) to make a characteristic crying sound

interjection
  1. an imitation of this sound

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012