pow

¹ American  

[pou] / paʊ /

interjection

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

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noun

1. a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.

2. the power of exciting.

adjective

1. exciting and appealing.

pow ² American  

[poh, pou] / poʊ, paʊ /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. the head; poll.

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POW ³ American  

Or P.O.W.

1. prisoner of war.

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POW ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. prisoner of war

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pow ² British  

/ paʊ /

interjection

1. an exclamation imitative of a collision, explosion, etc

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pow ³ British  

/ paʊ /

noun

1. the head or a head of hair

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pow ⁴ British  

/ paʊ /

noun

1. a creek or slow stream

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Etymology

Origin of pow¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Origin of pow²

First recorded in 1715–25; variant of poll ¹

Example Sentences

Diplomatic sources told AFP that conditions are typically better in POW facilities than regular Ukrainian prisons.

From Barron's

The two sides failed to agree a ceasefire at the May meeting and two follow-ups in June and July, brokering only a major POW swap involving thousands of prisoners.

From Barron's

Pow Wow Grounds, a coffee shop a few blocks from where Oglala said tribal members were detained, has become a hub for Native American support groups and ICE observers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Robert Rice, the owner of Pow Wow Grounds, said donations used to buy food and supplies have come from New York, Idaho and Texas, among other places.

From The Wall Street Journal

Emile Goué, a French composer and prisoner in a German POW camp—where he contracted an illness that killed him shortly after the war ended—said that “music wasn’t entertainment or a game, but the very expression of our inner lives.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• clout
• courage
• durability
• energy
• firmness
• fortitude
• health
• power
• stability
• tenacity
• toughness
• vigor
• vitality