pow

¹ American  

[pou] / paʊ /

interjection

1. (used to express or indicate a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.)

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noun

1. a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.

2. the power of exciting.

adjective

1. exciting and appealing.

pow ² American  

[poh, pou] / poʊ, paʊ /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. the head; poll.

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POW ³ American  

Or P.O.W.

1. prisoner of war.

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POW ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. prisoner of war

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pow ² British  

/ paʊ /

interjection

1. an exclamation imitative of a collision, explosion, etc

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pow ³ British  

/ paʊ /

noun

1. the head or a head of hair

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pow ⁴ British  

/ paʊ /

noun

1. a creek or slow stream

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Etymology

Origin of pow¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Origin of pow²

First recorded in 1715–25; variant of poll ¹

Example Sentences

Now the 25-year-old sits in a Ukrainian POW camp, his optimism replaced by barbed-wire fencing and snow-covered countryside that is unlike anything he grew up with in Senegal.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ukrainian soldiers captured him 11 days later and sent him to a POW facility in western Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Diplomatic sources told AFP that conditions are typically better in POW facilities than regular Ukrainian prisons.

From Barron's

The two sides failed to agree a ceasefire at the May meeting and two follow-ups in June and July, brokering only a major POW swap involving thousands of prisoners.

From Barron's

Pow Wow Grounds, a coffee shop a few blocks from where Oglala said tribal members were detained, has become a hub for Native American support groups and ICE observers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• clout
• courage
• durability
• energy
• firmness
• fortitude
• health
• power
• stability
• tenacity
• toughness
• vigor
• vitality