mew

¹ American  

[myoo] / mju /

noun

1. the tiny, high-pitched sound a cat or kitten makes.

2. the characteristic sound a gull makes.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make a mew or emit a similar sound.

mew ² American  

[myoo] / mju /

noun

1. a small gull, Larus canus, of Eurasia and northwestern North America.

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mew ³ American  

[myoo] / mju /

noun

1. a cage for hawks, especially while molting.

2. a pen in which poultry is fattened.

3. a place of retirement or concealment.

4. (usually used with a singular verb) mews,

   1. (formerly) an area of stables built around a small street.

   2. a street having small apartments converted from such stables.

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to shut up in or as in a mew; confine; conceal (often followed byup ).

mew ⁴ American  

[myoo] / mju /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to shed (feathers); molt.

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mew ¹ British  

/ mjuː /

noun

1. a room or cage for hawks, esp while moulting

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verb

1. to confine (hawks or falcons) in a shelter, cage, etc, usually by tethering them to a perch

2. to confine, conceal

mew ² British  

/ mjuː /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of a cat) to make a characteristic high-pitched cry

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noun

1. such a sound

mew ³ British  

/ mjuː /

verb

1. (intr) (of hawks or falcons) to moult

2. obsolete (tr) to shed (one's covering, clothes, etc)

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mew ⁴ British  

/ mjuː /

noun

1. Also called: mew gull.   sea mew.  any seagull, esp the common gull, Larus canus

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Other Word Forms

• mewer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of mew¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English meuen; imitative

Origin of mew²

First recorded in before 900; Middle English; Old English mǣwe; cognate with German Müwe

Origin of mew³

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English mue, from Middle French, akin to muer “to molt”; see mew ⁴

Origin of mew⁴

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English mewen, from Old French muer “to molt,” from Latin mūtāre “to change”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mew

No, I didn’t have leg lengthening surgery, take peptides or even mew, the basic looksmaxxing exercise of pushing your tongue against the roof of your mouth to strengthen your jaw muscles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

Short-billed gulls, known as mew gulls until 2021, are omnivorous and highly adaptable.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2024

On one occasion, a red-tailed hawk named Kean was found to be sitting on top of and crushing other birds in the mew, a large birdhouse designed to hold several raptors.

From New York Times ● Sep. 19, 2022

Compact mew gulls, with their yellow legs and beaks, are abundant in winter along the shores of Puget Sound.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2019

He hugged the cat, who uttered a surprised mew, and released her with a rushed “Bye, kitty.”

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby