meow

American  

[mee-ou, myou] / miˈaʊ, myaʊ /

Sometimes miaou,

noun

1. the characteristic sound a cat makes.

2. a spiteful or catty remark.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make the sound of a cat.

2. to make a spiteful or catty remark.

meow British  

/ mjaʊl, mjaʊ, mɪˈaʊl, mɪˈaʊ /

verb

1. (intr) (of a cat) to make a characteristic crying sound

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interjection

1. an imitation of this sound

Etymology

Origin of meow

First recorded in 1870–75; imitative

Example Sentences

A domestic cat's purr reveals much more about its individual identity than its meow.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

He would eat and then meow to leave.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025

"She's super tiny, her breath smells so bad, and she doesn't have a meow," the singer dotes.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2025

Research has shown that cats meow primarily when in the presence of humans, suggesting that we can’t help but skew the app’s inputs, while some cats rarely vocalize at all.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2023

Then he lets out a surprisingly strong mustard-colored meow and settles back into his mother’s warmth.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass