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Synonyms

pow

1 American  
[pou] / paʊ /

interjection

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

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.

POW 3 American  
Or P.O.W.

  1. prisoner of war.

POW 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. prisoner of war

"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
pow 2 British  
/ paʊ /

interjection

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

"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
pow 3 British  
/ paʊ /

noun

  1. the head or a head of hair

"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
pow 4 British  
/ paʊ /

noun

  1. a creek or slow stream

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Now, more than 70 years later, his remains have been identified, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

From Los Angeles Times

Replying to a question in the House of Commons on Monday, environment minister Rebecca Pow said investigations were already under way.

From BBC

Among those are a photo of Bell as a teenager taken by his art teacher, noted D.C. artist Michael B. Platt, who died in 2019, and graffiti artist Borf’s version of Eddie Adams’s famous photo of a point-blank execution of a POW during the Vietnam War, in which the two figures are covered with happy faces.

From Washington Post

Gregory V. Knoll 22, of Hill City. was identified in January but his family was only recently received a full briefing, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Friday.

From Seattle Times

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to investigate the site.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.