pow
interjection
(used to express or indicate a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.)
pow
1 American
[pou]
/ paʊ /
interjection
noun
-
a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.
-
the power of exciting.
adjective
pow
2
American
[poh, pou]
/ poʊ, paʊ /
noun
Scot. and North England.
POW
3
American
Or
P.O.W.
POW
1
British
abbreviation
pow
2
British
/ paʊ /
interjection
pow
3
British
/ paʊ /
noun
pow
4
British
/ paʊ /
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His wife, Jenna Dramise, also posted on Instagram, saying “tonight I hope to ride some pow or bikes with you in my dreams.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2023
"Toy soldiers, all that jazz. Even now I'm like, 'pow, pow, pow,' on the tour bus."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2022
“No one I’ve ever known has done anything like that. You go to a Native-American pow wow and you don’t hear anything like this.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2021
And the first thing that happened, I threw a jab, pow, and my hands were still there.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2021
He made a loud pow sound and pretended like he had shot.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
More expeditions followed, in which the POW agency and its partners conducted intensive underwater surveys to map the wreck and check on access to the ship’s cargo holds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Navy and Coast Guard divers, led by the POW agency, tried to make their way into the Oryoku Maru’s forward cargo hold, where 600 enlisted men were kept.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The scenes in Kyiv contrasted with elation to the north, where 205 Ukrainian soldiers were freed in the latest POW exchange with Moscow.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Diplomatic sources told AFP that conditions are typically better in POW facilities than regular Ukrainian prisons.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
He had been a POW in Vietnam, people said.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
