meow

noun

me·​ow mē-ˈau̇ How to pronounce meow (audio)
variants chiefly US meow or British miaow
1
: the cry of a cat
2
: a spiteful or malicious remark
meow intransitive verb
(chiefly US) or British miaow

Examples of meow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While aiming for each target, 20 healthy young adults heard a unique sound such as a meow, drumroll or bell. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 The toy, created for elder care, can blink, meow and roll over. Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 The North Face Cat’s Meow ($169) is, well, the cat’s meow. Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023 The lack of morning meows and scattering of loose cat toys sent me reeling with grief. Hannah Baxter, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2023 The sound of these meows has evolved during domestication to more effectively communicate with us. Jonathan Losos, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023 Evolution of a master manipulator Household cats are quite vocal to their human companions, using different meows to communicate different messages. Jonathan Losos, Fortune Well, 5 Aug. 2023 The sounds of squawks and meows could be heard as chickens and stray cats roamed among the vehicles. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 Our two large cats could fit into this carrier without a word (or meow) or complaint from either of them. Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 9 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of meow was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near meow

Cite this Entry

“Meow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

meow

noun
me·​ow mē-ˈau̇ How to pronounce meow (audio)
: the characteristic sound of a cat
meow verb

More from Merriam-Webster on meow

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