meow

American

[mee-ou, myou] / miˈaʊ, myaʊ /

Sometimes miaou,

noun

the characteristic sound a cat makes.
a spiteful or catty remark.

verb (used without object)

to make the sound of a cat.
to make a spiteful or catty remark.

meow British

/ mjaʊl, mjaʊ, mɪˈaʊl, mɪˈaʊ /

verb

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

"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

interjection

an imitation of this sound

"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 meow

First recorded in 1870–75; 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.

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

What is the meaning of a cat’s meow that grows louder and louder?

From New York Times • Feb. 29, 2024

As I arrived, I was greeted by a loud meow from Julia's cat Monty.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2024

I went back to sleep, and this time when I awakened, I heard a meow.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

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