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definitions

meow

or mi·aow, mi·aou

[ mee-ou, myou ]
/ miˈaʊ, myaʊ /
|

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.

Nearby words

  1. menzies,
  2. menzies, sir robert gordon,
  3. menéndez de avilés,
  4. menéndez de avilés, pedro,
  5. meo,
  6. mep,
  7. mepacrine,
  8. meperidine,
  9. mephibosheth,
  10. mephisto
Sometimes mi·aul [mee-oul, mee-awl] /miˈaʊl, miˈɔl/.

Origin of meow

First recorded in 1870–75; imitative

miaow

[ mee-ou, myou ]
/ miˈaʊ, myaʊ /

noun, verb (used without object)

meow.
Also mi·aou, mi·aul [mee-oul, mee-awl] /miˈaʊl, miˈɔl/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for miaul

British Dictionary definitions for miaul

miaul

/ (mɪˈaʊl) /

verb

(intr) another word for meow

meow

miaou or miaow miaul (mɪˈaʊl, mjaʊl)

/ (mɪˈaʊ, mjaʊ) /

verb

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

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
Word Origin and History for miaul

meow

n.

representation of cat sound, 1842, earlier miaow, miau, meaw (1630s). Of imitative origin, cf. French miaou, German miauen, Persian maw, Japanese nya nya, Arabic nau-nau, and Joyce's mrkgnao. In Chinese, miau means "cat." As a verb by 1630s, meaw, also meawle. Cf. Old French miauer "to meow, caterwaul." Related: Meowed; meowing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper