Dictionary.com
definitions

caw

[kaw]
See more synonyms for caw on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the harsh, grating cry of the crow, raven, etc.
verb (used without object)
  1. to utter this cry or a similar sound.

Origin of caw

First recorded in 1580–90; imitative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for cawing

screech, cackle, hoot, yap, squawk, boast, gloat, strut, growl, exclaim, shout, whoop, cheer, holler, coo, bark, grunt, shriek, scream, howl

Examples from the Web for cawing

Contemporary Examples of cawing

Historical Examples of cawing

  • And in one tree sat a raven, beating his wings and cawing loudly.

  • I listened, and heard the cawing of rooks, the neighing of horses, and the lowing of cattle.

    The Birthright

    Joseph Hocking

  • At intervals they all rise in the air, and wheel about, all cawing at once.

  • So back they came, cawing at the top of their lungs, for they were very much excited.

    Blacky the Crow

    Thornton W. Burgess

  • Never had Blacky felt more like cawing at the top of his lungs.

    Blacky the Crow

    Thornton W. Burgess

British Dictionary definitions for cawing

caw

noun
  1. the cry of a crow, rook, or raven
verb
  1. (intr) to make this cry

Word Origin for caw

C16: of imitative origin

CAW

abbreviation for
  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
Word Origin and History for cawing

caw

n.

1660s, from caw (v.).

caw

v.

"make a sound like a crow, raven, etc.," 1580s, imitative. Related: Cawed; cawing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper