pow

[ pou ]

/ paʊ /

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See synonyms for pow on Thesaurus.com

interjection

(used to express or indicate a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.)

noun

a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.

the power of exciting.

adjective

exciting and appealing.

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IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

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Origin of pow

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Words nearby pow

poverty line, poverty-stricken, poverty trap, povidone, povidone-iodine, pow, powan, Powassan encephalitis, Poway, powder, powder blue

Other definitions for pow (2 of 3)

pow²

[ poh, pou ]

/ poʊ, paʊ /

noun Scot. and North England.

the head; poll.

Origin of pow

First recorded in 1715–25; variant of poll¹

Other definitions for pow (3 of 3)

POW

or P.O.W.

prisoner of war.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pow in a sentence

A map shows each station on the route, along with marking POW camps and other landmarks along the way.
Riding Thailand’s WWII Death Railway|Liza Foreman|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He cites an interview that a freed POW, Air Force Lt. Col. William Harrison, gave to The New York Times in 1953.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And when rappers battle one another with their wits and words, it is similar to the bam-pow!
Bam! Pow! Bling! Hip-Hop's History Gets the Graphic Novel Treatment|Daniel Genis|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For years, the Obama administration avoided calling Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl a POW.
White House Changes Tune on Bergdahl, Says He Was a ‘Prisoner of War’|Josh Rogin|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When the risks and results of fighting are not equally distributed, we default to a world that delivers “Bow-wow POW.”
The Taliban Trolled the Internet with a Dog Video and Upstaged an American POW|Brian Van Reet|February 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She's done got a pow'ful quick tempah, my Miss Betty has, same's all my Somerset family had, bein' fust quality folks lak dey was.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
He was a skittish horse, gentle, as Andy explained, but "pow'ful nervous—had to be sort o' coaxed along."
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope
There was a grand "pow-wow," as William called it, after he came.
The Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour|George A. Warren
Why should he be permitted to defile with the fat of his sleek locks a crown intended to adorn the grizzled pow of his elders?
The Fiend's Delight|Dod Grile
Among the neighboring Cherokees, was one named Silouee, celebrated as a chief and pow-wow, or medicine man.
The Indian: On the Battle-Field and in the Wigwam|John Frost

British Dictionary definitions for pow (1 of 4)

pow¹

/ (paʊ) /

interjection

an exclamation imitative of a collision, explosion, etc

British Dictionary definitions for pow (2 of 4)

pow²

/ (paʊ) /

noun

Scot the head or a head of hair

Word Origin for pow

a Scot variant of poll

British Dictionary definitions for pow (3 of 4)

pow³

/ (paʊ) /

noun

Scot a creek or slow stream

Word Origin for pow

C15: from earlier Scots poll

British Dictionary definitions for pow (4 of 4)

POW

abbreviation for

prisoner of war

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

pow

Origin of pow

Words nearby pow

Other definitions for pow (2 of 3)

Origin of pow

Other definitions for pow (3 of 3)

or P.O.W.

Words related to pow

How to use pow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pow (1 of 4)

British Dictionary definitions for pow (2 of 4)

Word Origin for pow

British Dictionary definitions for pow (3 of 4)

Word Origin for pow

British Dictionary definitions for pow (4 of 4)