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Synonyms

caw

American  
[kaw] / kɔ /

noun

  1. the harsh, grating cry of the crow, raven, etc.

verb (used without object)

  1. to utter this cry or a similar sound.

caw 1 British  
/ kɔː /

noun

  1. the cry of a crow, rook, or raven

"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

verb

  1. (intr) to make this cry

"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
CAW 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. Canadian Auto Workers (trade union)

"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 caw

First recorded in 1580–90; imitative

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.

Carrion crows can count out loud, effectively calling “one, two, three” as they caw, researchers report today in Science.

From Science Magazine • May 22, 2024

And at that, Spencer cocks his head to the side and lets out a proud caw.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2021

Seagulls, protecting their trashy turf, caw in the air, and public buses — which often break down, sometimes explode, but rarely arrive on time — screech on the ground.

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2018

Forty-seven miles west of Barry and Po’s yard, seagulls caw and circle the property that was once Pungo district hospital.

From The Guardian • May 25, 2018

Bongo flew high into my branches and landed with a victorious caw.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate

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.