mew

¹ American  

[myoo] / myu /

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] / myu /

noun

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

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mew ³ American  

[myoo] / myu /

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] / myu /

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”; 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

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

It often is preceded by the mew call and uttered as a warning to intruders: “Get out now, or you’ll be attacked!”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2019

Those who mew adhere to other habits, including a wave-swallowing technique, as well as gum-chewing to strengthen the jaw muscles.

From The Guardian • Mar. 21, 2019

The cub lifted her head, twitched her ears, and answered her mother with a soft mew.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins