cat's meow
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of cat's meow
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
They examined vocalizations from both domestic and wild cats and found that domestication has especially increased how much a cat's meow can vary.
From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026
One type is onomatopoeia; for example, words that describe a cat’s meow or a rooster’s crow are similar across many languages.
From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2022
If it existed in the world of “Wattam,” for example, a random cat’s meow, would be cause for celebration, a reminder that beauty and joy is not only everywhere but too often fleeting.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2019
The sound is a bit like a cat’s meow.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2019
I can well imagine that somewhere far off, 150 miles away, a ship’s watch looked up, startled, and later reported the oddest thing, that he thought he heard a cat’s meow coming from three o’clock.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
